The Sister
by King12345
Summary: I wont tell you what this is about even though the title says it all and also i have written many stories on other websites so dont think i am a novice


ANIMORPHS CONTINUED  
  
© of Akshay  
  
© also of ZeD  
  
ZeD == Akshay   
  
this is the story of what happens after the books. Thus in Rachel book #54 Rachel gets rebroned when Tobias goes into the world of Dragonball ( see dragonball, dragon ball z, dragon ball gt ) as Goku and gets earth's dragon balls reborns some people and then comes back   
  
DONT STEAL.!.!.!.!  
  
______________________________________________________________________  
  
Prologue   
  
Life! Oh, sweet, glorious life! I had only been alive for a few  
  
months, but I knew it, and I cherished it. It just felt so wonderful to  
  
be alive. My mother's womb was warm, and the sound of her heart  
  
beating was as soothing as any music.   
  
I could sense that I wasn't alone in there very early in my life. As  
  
the months passed and I grew, so did the other baby. I had a  
  
brother! After a while, we could see and feel each other. We were  
  
connected, not physically, but in our minds, in our hearts.   
  
We loved to play. If one of us would turn upside down, the other  
  
would copy. Sometimes, my brother and I would try to kick at the  
  
same time, and eventually, we got it down.   
  
Sometimes, we could hear our mother speaking. We didn't know  
  
what she was saying, but the sound of her voice was almost as  
  
soothing as her heartbeat. My brother and I loved when she would  
  
sing.   
  
She would lean over to he belly and sing right to us, which really  
  
made us feel special.   
  
One time, during a copying game with my brother, our special  
  
connection was severed. It felt as if I were alone, which left me  
  
devastated. Just as suddenly, I was no longer in the womb. I hadn't  
  
been born, I knew this. But one thing was for sure: this was  
  
definitely wrong. It wasn't supposed to happen. I began to cry.   
  
I tried to look around, but found myself floating in empty space.  
  
Bright lights whizzed past me and around me. Then, words that  
  
had no meaning to me flowed into my ears and my mind. They  
  
came from every direction, even from within me.   
  
Sweet baby girl, do not weep. You shall return to your brother soon  
  
enough. For now, you belong with me. You are mine until the time  
  
is right.   
  
This voice was not beautiful and soothing like my mothers. It was  
  
loud and frightening. I longed to be back with my brother. It was  
  
safe there. This new place was cold and scary. Suddenly, life didn't  
  
seem so sweet.   
  
1: Aidan   
  
My name is Aidan. I always liked my name, it sounds very  
  
different than any other name I've heard. The Ellimist told me that  
  
it's Irish and that it means "fire", which is really cool. Even though  
  
I have no idea what Irish is. Most of the names I grew up around  
  
were long, three-part things, but not mine. Mine is only one word:  
  
Aidan. I've no middle or last name. Just Aidan.   
  
My name is so different from everyone I grew up around because I  
  
am human. Those whom I grew up with are not. They are  
  
Andalites.   
  
I never wondered why I was the only human on a planet of  
  
Andalites when I was young. They treated me as though I were one  
  
of them. No questions asked. I went to an Andalite school, was  
  
raised by an Andalite family, and had a lot of friends. They even  
  
made me able to morph, as they do to all students when they reach  
  
a certain level. It seemed like I was an Andalite. The only things  
  
that were different were my appearance, the fact that I wore  
  
clothing (a long skirt made of silky, red cloth and a tank top of  
  
silky, blue cloth), and what I ate, which was an oatmeal-like food  
  
made from the silar plant, sometimes a galor (a small animal  
  
similar to a rabbit), and the fruits off of the trees near our scoop.  
  
Also, I had a small hammock that I slept in, which no one else had.   
  
One day, while I was talking to my shorm  
  
Arelini-Serrobrial-Elonea, my adopted mother called me back to  
  
our scoop.   
  
"What is it?" I asked.   
  
Aidan, something is on my mind, the Andalite woman replied.  
  
I believe it is something you won't like.   
  
"Tell me," I said.   
  
You know that you are not an Andalite. You also know that I  
  
found you in my scoop, she began. I nodded and she continued.  
  
Well, the Ellimist has informed me of your true origin.   
  
This definitely interested me. "Where?!" I demanded eagerly. I bit  
  
my lip. "Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude."   
  
I understand. As for your origin, Aidan, you are a human, and you  
  
are from a planet called Earth. The Ellimist said that you are to  
  
meet with him and he will return you there, my "mother" said  
  
sadly.   
  
"When am I to meet with the Ellimist?" I asked, nervously playing  
  
with my hair, which, I later found out, was a color called  
  
dirty-blond.   
  
Right now, I am afraid, she replied. Do not talk to any of your  
  
friends, do not gather your things. Simply go to your Guide Tree.   
  
"Good bye," I said, embracing her. A tear fell down my cheek.   
  
You will be missed, she said, with no emotion.   
  
I turned away from her and began walking to my guide tree, which  
  
I called Loren. It wasn't an Andalite name, but it was a name that  
  
appeared in my mind.   
  
Greetings, Aidan, the Ellimist's "voice" said. You do know why  
  
you're here, don't you?   
  
I nodded solemnly.   
  
Good. I suppose you are ready to return to your home planet, are  
  
you not?   
  
"I am ready," I declared, though I knew I hadn't fooled the  
  
Ellimist. I hadn't even fooled myself.   
  
I then found myself in the Ellimist's world, floating in a 10  
  
dimensional place. I could see everything at once! Even inside my  
  
own body! I screamed, and saw my lungs expand then deflate as I  
  
did it.   
  
Then, images appeared in my mind. They were faces, human faces.  
  
As they appeared, a name was said.   
  
Jake. Marco. Rachel. Cassie. Then an Andalite. Aximili. Then a  
  
bird (a hawk, my mind told me). Tobias. Then another human face.  
  
Erek the Chee.   
  
Find these people. You will be safe with them. They will protect  
  
you.   
  
A sudden flash of unbearably bright light, then, I was falling! I was  
  
in a tunnel! Falling to the place I would soon call home.   
  
2: Tobias   
  
My name is Tobias. I have a human name, but I am not human. I  
  
used to be, until a couple years ago. That was when I became stuck  
  
as a hawk.   
  
Right about now, I'd usually tell you why, how, and all I knew  
  
about the Yeerks and all that, but I'm sure you know all that stuff  
  
by now. So I'll just start my story, okay?   
  
It was a beautiful day for flying. There were thermals all over the  
  
place. I should have been happy.   
  
But I wasn't.   
  
Something felt off, wrong. I usually went to Rachel when  
  
something was up, and I was on my way there when it happened.   
  
I was getting some altitude, scanning the sky. Then I saw it:  
  
something appeared out of thin air. I focused my laser- sharp vision  
  
and saw that it was a girl. She appeared about 10 feet over the  
  
ground above the open field I was flying over. I dove to the ground.   
  
"AAAAAAAH!" she shrieked. Then she landed with a thud in a  
  
patch of daisies.   
  
Are you okay? I demanded. Normally, I wouldn't just talk to  
  
people, but there was something, well, familiar about her presence.  
  
Like a memory of a dream I had when I was a child. And she had  
  
just fallen from the sky.   
  
She stared at me - this talking bird - for a few moments. "Y-Yeah, I  
  
think so," she whispered. Then, she studied me again. After a  
  
pause, she said to herself, "It's the bird he told me to find!"   
  
What are you talking about?! I yelled.   
  
"Are you Tobias?" she asked. My blood ran cold.   
  
Yes, I replied. Why?   
  
"I've been sent by the Ellimist. My name is Aidan," she replied.  
  
There was something so familiar. . .   
  
Then, a sudden shooting pain in my spine, which stopped as  
  
suddenly as it started. Aaaaaaagh! I screamed.   
  
"What's wrong?" the girl asked.   
  
I don't know, I admitted, fear spreading through me. I then  
  
realized, to my sheer horror, that I was changing to human. But I  
  
hadn't tried morphing, and I couldn't make it stop! What the he-  
  
I began, but at that moment, my thought-speech was cut off. Soon,  
  
I was sitting on the ground, human, in my morphing outfit, and  
  
totally confused.   
  
Aidan and I walked to Cassie's barn. We talked on the way.   
  
"I can do that, too," she said.   
  
"What?" I asked, distracted.   
  
"Morph. I can morph," she said, looking straight ahead.   
  
"How?!" I demanded.   
  
She laughed, sort of, like she was remembering a happy memory.  
  
"I was raised on the Andalite home world." She still looked  
  
forward.   
  
Pretty much the entire trip, she wouldn't look at me. I didn't  
  
understand it. When she did, she'd look away quickly, like my  
  
appearance disturbed her.   
  
We remained silent until we reached Cassie's barn. Peering  
  
through the back door, I saw Cassie inside.   
  
"Cassie, we have a problem," I said.   
  
"Tobias! You're human!" Cassie exclaimed.   
  
"That's half of the problem."   
  
"What's the other half?" Cassie asked.   
  
Aidan walked in through the barn door behind me. She waved at  
  
Cassie. "Hi," she said.   
  
Cassie's jaw dropped open. "I'll get the others. You two go wait up  
  
in the hayloft."   
  
3:Aidan   
  
This bird-turned-human, Tobias, and I climbed up the ladder that  
  
led to the hayloft. I knew we were both thinking the same thing,  
  
but I said it first.   
  
"There's something so familiar about you," I said. "No, not you  
  
yourself. . . It's hard to explain."   
  
"Like. . . like a. . . a connection," he replied, nodding. "I know  
  
what you mean."   
  
He leaned against the wall behind him at the same time as I did.  
  
Then we both stretched our arms to the ceiling in unison, and  
  
stopped in mid-motion when we realized what we were doing.  
  
"Woah, that was creepy," he commented. We sat like that, side by  
  
side against the back wall of the hayloft, for a long time. Finally,  
  
the girl, Cassie, returned with other kids.   
  
Every single face was one that I saw in the vision the Ellimist gave  
  
me. The only one missing was Erek the Chee, whatever a Chee  
  
was. He looked like a human when the Ellimist showed me his  
  
face.   
  
Tobias climbed down the ladder, and I followed. Everyone stared  
  
at us. The one called Jake threw a bag of clothes at Tobias, which  
  
he caught and put on over his "morphing outfit", as he called it.   
  
"This is like this one episode of the Twilight Zone I saw once," the  
  
one called Marco said, "where it was raining chicks. Oh, wait, that  
  
was a dream."   
  
Everyone laughed at that except me. "Also, there's the whole  
  
morphing thing," Jake added.   
  
"At least I was on the ground when it happened," Tobias said.  
  
"Otherwise, I would be in serious pain. There was a really sweet  
  
thermal I was riding, like, a million miles in the air!"   
  
"Have you tried morphing, just to see if you can?" Rachel asked.   
  
"No, but don't you think we should deal with Aidan first?" he said.   
  
"Who?" everyone asked.   
  
Tobias pointed at me.   
  
"Hi," I said.   
  
"So, Aidan," Marco said, sidling up to me and placing his arm  
  
around my shoulder, "where did you fall from? Heaven?"   
  
"The Andalite home world," I replied, ducking out of his hold on  
  
me. Everyone stared, astonished.   
  
How did you get there?! Aximili demanded.   
  
"I was raised there, by adoptive Andalite parents," I said,  
  
defensive. "I was born here, though, I think. That's the impression  
  
I get from seeing that you are all like me."   
  
How would you be born on Earth, but raised on my home  
  
planet? Ax asked.   
  
I shrugged. "The Ellimist?"   
  
"You know about him?" Jake asked.   
  
"He's the one who sent me here," I said, shrugging again.   
  
"Hmmmmmmm," Jake said, his hand on his chin.   
  
"You know who you kinda remind me of?" Marco asked. "Tobias.  
  
I think it's the hair color, and the eyes, and the shape of your faces.  
  
. ." he trailed off. After a beat, he added, "But you're pleasing to  
  
the eyes, so I don't know. . ."   
  
Tobias's eyes narrowed at Marco. Then Tobias and I turned to look  
  
at each other in unison, then turned back to the others and shrugged  
  
simultaniously.   
  
"Woah," Rachel commented. "This is way beyond weird."   
  
You don't know the half of it.   
  
We all groaned. The Ellimist.   
  
"Oh great, Obi-Wan decided to pay us a visit." Marco said.   
  
Aidan, do you remember the boy next to you? The one called  
  
Tobias? You should.   
  
Everyone looked at me. I shook my head, hesitated, then said, "I'd  
  
never seen him before today."   
  
Let me refresh your memory, you two. The rest of you may see as  
  
well.   
  
Suddenly, I was in my mother's womb. But I wasn't alone. It was  
  
like deja vu. I turned over to see. . . my brother. We kicked our legs  
  
in unison, then I turned on my head, inviting him to play. Tobias  
  
was my brother. . . my twin brother.   
  
Then we were back in the barn. I opened my mouth, but no words  
  
came out. Everyone was staring at Tobias and I, curiosity building  
  
in their minds. Then, impulsively, Tobias and I turned and  
  
embraced each other at the same time. A tear ran down my cheek.   
  
"Oh, you have got to be kidding me," Marco rolled his eyes.   
  
"Why were they separated?" Jake wondered aloud.   
  
It had to be done. If raised on Earth, with her brother, Aidan would  
  
not be prepared for what is to come. The Yeerks, this war. So I  
  
took her right out of her mother so she would not be missed, and  
  
took her to the Andalite home world. She is strong and brave now,  
  
like all of you.   
  
"What about Tobias?" Rachel asked. "He's a human again. How'd  
  
it happen?"   
  
I did this. He is human, like he asked to be long ago. You can  
  
morph all the animals you had acquired as a hawk, Tobias. That is  
  
all I will tell you. Goodbye.   
  
"Well, at least this is one of the weirdest things that happened all  
  
day," Marco said.   
  
"It's getting close to lunch," Jake said. "I'm hungry."   
  
"Me too," Rachel said. "Tobias?"   
  
"I guess I'm kinda hungry," he said. "How about you, Aidan?"   
  
"Not really," I said. "I ate before I, um, fell."   
  
"Well, where shall we eat?" Marco asked, rubbing his hands  
  
together greedily.   
  
"My mom and sisters aren't home. Why don't we go there?"  
  
Rachel suggested. "Besides, we need to figure out the situation,  
  
and get Aiden some new clothes."   
  
So everyone morphed birds of prey (I acquired a hawk - a red-tail  
  
like my brother). Then we flew to Rachel's house. She demorphed  
  
and went in, then we all flew in through the window she opened.   
  
After everyone demorphed, they stood waiting for me to. But see,  
  
they all demorphed into some clothes, which I wasn't trained to do.   
  
Rachel? I, uh, can't do the clothing thing when I morph, I said.  
  
My other clothes are in Cassie's barn. Do you have any I could  
  
use?   
  
Rachel nodded. "Boys, out," she instructed, pointing to the door.  
  
Jake, Marco, and Tobias all filed out obediently, leaving me with  
  
Rachel and Cassie.   
  
"Okay, you can demorph," Cassie said. I demorphed, embarrassed  
  
that I had no clothes on.   
  
Rachel rummaged around in a drawer and pulled out a black  
  
garment that looked like it covered my torso. "This is a leotard. Put  
  
it on how I have mine on."   
  
So I did, without difficulty. "At least she doesn't dress herself the  
  
way Ax does," Cassie said.   
  
After a few moments, Rachel had a long, blue, silk skirt with what  
  
she called "Hindu-inspired" print on it, and a white short-sleeve  
  
shirt with the same print around the bottom.   
  
Rachel then brushed my hair. "It's very soft, and I like the color,"  
  
she said. My hair fell to my waist, which I told her I thought was  
  
too long, and I usually wore it plaited down my back. Rachel took  
  
some scissors out, saying, "Don't worry, I cut my own hair once.  
  
It's really easy." She shortened it so it fell to my chin. Cassie  
  
smiled, which I took to mean it looked good. Then I looked in the  
  
mirror. It was my turn to smile. Rachel looked very pleased with  
  
what she'd done.   
  
Then the boys came back in. I think they were pleased, too. Marco  
  
had a look of surprise on his face. "Uh......" he said. Jake smiled at  
  
me, then looked away. Tobias had an unreadable look on his face,  
  
like he wasn't sure what to say.   
  
"What do you think?" Rachel asked.   
  
4:Tobias   
  
Marco nudged me. "Hey Tobias, your sister's pretty cute. Do you  
  
think maybe you could-"   
  
I cut him off. "Nope."   
  
Marco looked disappointed. He also looked annoyed.   
  
After Rachel was done with her, Aidan was beautiful. As beautiful  
  
as Rachel, which is seriously hot. I had to remind myself that  
  
Aidan was my sister. Then I didn't think much of her beauty. Kind  
  
of like how Jake didn't think anything of Rachel's beauty because  
  
they're cousins.   
  
"You two are twins?" Marco asked, both complimenting Aidan  
  
and insulting me at the same time.   
  
"No offense, but I think your sister got the good side of the egg."   
  
"Well, with Rachel fixing her up, of course she'll look good," I  
  
replied. "Rachel might even be able to make you look halfway  
  
decent, Marco." Jake slid me a low five behind Marco's back.   
  
"Ha. Ha. Ha," Marco said. "Well, why don't we get her to  
  
re-model you as her next project?" Before anyone could realize  
  
what he said, he went on. "I'm hungry, let's eat." Then it sank in,  
  
but no one said anything. Oh, I was definitely mad enough, but I'm  
  
not one to pick random fights. I'm not like Marco. I like to think  
  
that I'm more mature than that. We went downstairs in silence.   
  
Rachel opened the fridge and we all grabbed a can of Pepsi. Then  
  
each of us made a sandwich and sat at the large table in the dining  
  
room.   
  
"If Tobias is human now, and his sister Aidan is here now, where  
  
are they gonna stay?" Jake asked. "No offense, but I don't think  
  
that your tree is gonna cut it, Tobias."   
  
"Also, Aidan never attended a human school, so we don't know if  
  
they'll even let her in," I said.   
  
"And there's the two missing years that I was a hawk."   
  
"I went to school back at the Andalite home world," Aidan said.  
  
"All I need to know is human history, maybe geography."   
  
"Well, it's summer, so school doesn't start for a while," Jake said.  
  
"If she were to study over the summer, we could probably get her  
  
in. And you know the stuff you missed-"   
  
"-'Cause I'd do your guys's homework with you," I finished.   
  
"If we could convince the school board to let them in, Aidan could  
  
probably stay with me," Rachel said.   
  
"Tobias, you could move in with me," Jake offered.   
  
"No. I want to stay with my brother," Aidan said. "I just got  
  
reunited with him, and you're going to take him away!"   
  
"Aidan, no one's taking anyone away," I said   
  
"Well, I don't think that Rachel's family would want to take both  
  
of you in, and my family can't afford it either," Jake said. "Or any  
  
of the others. We'll have to split you up."   
  
I turned to Aidan and gave a slight nod, as if to say, "It's all right."   
  
"Okay," Aidan said. "But how are we gonna convince your parents  
  
to take us in?"   
  
"Yeah, mom, this is Aidan. She just flew in from another planet.  
  
Can we keep her?" Marco joked.   
  
Rachel shot him an evil look. "I'm sure we can work it out," she  
  
said.   
  
"What about my. . . our uncle?" I asked. "Couldn't we just go stay  
  
with him?"   
  
"Maybe you, but not Aidan. Until now, to him and the rest of the  
  
world, she never existed," Jake said. "There isn't even a birth  
  
certificate for her, or a social security number, or school records. .  
  
." he trailed off.   
  
"What about the Ellimist?" I asked. "He could make some  
  
magically appear, couldn't he?"   
  
"I doubt it," Marco replied. "He has that hypocritical no  
  
interfering with other species' rule."   
  
"Hmmmmmmm," Jake said.   
  
"I hate when he does that," Marco sighed. "When he does that, it  
  
usually means something hard is gonna have to be solved."   
  
We all thought for a moment. I snapped my fingers. "That's it!" I  
  
exclaimed.   
  
"What's it?" Jake asked.   
  
"Well, Ax live in the woods, right?" I began. "He has a scoop.  
  
What if he helped Aidan and I create scoops of our own?"   
  
The others considered this. "You know, that's not a bad idea. But I  
  
don't know."   
  
"But it would work!" I insisted. "Ax has a TV, so I could show  
  
Aidan about Earth, and we could get a video game system to hook  
  
up to it for when we get bored."   
  
"Don't you think we should still try with getting them into a house  
  
with us and getting them into school?" Cassie asked. "The scoop  
  
thing could be a backup plan."   
  
"Okay. . ." I trailed off, my tone of voice expressing how I thought  
  
it wouldn't work.   
  
"Well, my mom is a lawyer," Rachel said. "If we got her on our  
  
side, maybe we could get you two in school."   
  
"But what would we tell her, Rach?" Marco asked. "We gotta tell  
  
her something."   
  
"How about the truth?" Rachel replied. "I don't think she's a  
  
Controller."   
  
"She isn't," I said. "I keep an eye on her and your sisters, and none  
  
of them have been taken."   
  
"See?" Rachel said. "We'll tell her the truth. We can tell her  
  
everything, that way Aidan and Tobias can stay with my family.  
  
Once she knows the situation, I'm sure she'll let them both stay."   
  
"I don't know, Rachel." Jake ran his hand through his hair in a way  
  
that showed he was thinking.   
  
"What if she tells someone that's a Controller?"   
  
"She won't," Rachel replied flatly. "If we tell her how terrible it  
  
would be to tell, and what all is at stake, she won't tell anybody,  
  
just like we don't tell."   
  
"Maybe, but if she knows how dangerous it is, she may not even  
  
allow you to continue fighting,"   
  
Aidan spoke up for the first time. "Then where would we be? One  
  
person short in a war where it's billions to seven? I don't think I  
  
like that."   
  
"New Girl has a point," Marco sighed.   
  
"Aidan," I corrected. "Not New Girl."   
  
"Protective, much?" Marco mocked, narrowing his eyes. He  
  
growled, "You've been like that since you two found out! Listen,  
  
man, just cause she's your sister-"   
  
"Shut up, Marco," Rachel spat. "I'm sick of you always being so  
  
mean to Tobias. He, unlike some certain Animorphs, hasn't done  
  
anything to anyone. Tobias isn't like that. What did he ever do to  
  
you?!"   
  
Marco found something on the floor to look at. He didn't answer  
  
her, but I knew. Marco liked Rachel as much as I did, but the  
  
feeling wasn't mutual. Plus, she and I were really close. He  
  
couldn't handle what he thought of as rejection. Now he liked my  
  
sister, and I wasn't sure I was okay with that. I knew how he could  
  
be, and I didn't trust him. He must have thought I was keeping all  
  
the girls away from him or something.   
  
We continued our conversation, with Marco only quietly adding  
  
comments to show why a plan wouldn't work. Jake decided that  
  
we should all go home for the night and think about it the next day.  
  
So Aidan and I spent the night in Cassie's hayloft.   
  
Cassie could only grab one blanket for us, and I was going to let  
  
Aidan have it. But when she unfolded it, it was a huge, queen-size  
  
bed blanket, so Aidan and I decided it was definitely big enough to  
  
share. For pillows, which Cassie couldn't supply without her  
  
parents getting suspicious, we gathered hay into small piles and  
  
laid some clean rags we found over them. They were surprisingly  
  
comfy.   
  
I lay on my back, hands behind my head, looking at the stars that  
  
were visible through the cracks in the roof. Aidan sat at the other  
  
side of the huge blanket. She was deep in thought. Suddenly, she  
  
looked over at me, so I sat up too.   
  
"I didn't mention it while the others were around, because no one  
  
else did, but why can't we live with our parents?" Aidan asked  
  
quietly. My throat tightened.   
  
Our parents. Our mother, Loren, who disappeared, and our father,  
  
the great Elfangor, who died before my eyes.   
  
I looked at my sister, ready to tell her the details. But she looked so  
  
sweet and innocent, I almost didn't tell her. I bit my lip.   
  
"We. . . You and I. . . We don't have parents," I said. "At least, not  
  
anymore." Aidan gasped, but said nothing, so I kept talking. "Our  
  
mother disappeared when I was very little. I don't even really  
  
remember her. After she left, I got passed around from an aunt to  
  
an uncle, both of whom didn't like or want me. I was a burden they  
  
shoved onto each other when they felt like bugging the other one."   
  
"What about our father?" Aidan asked, fear in her eyes.   
  
"You're from the Andalite home world, right?" I began. "So  
  
you've heard of War-Prince Elfangor, right?" She nodded, I went  
  
on. I don't really like to talk about it, so I went as fast as I could.  
  
"He came to Earth a long time ago and became human, and he  
  
married Loren. When she was pregnant with us, the Ellimist took  
  
him back to the Andalite home world and erased all of Loren's  
  
memory of him. But Elfangor remembered. Then, about two years  
  
ago, he returned to Earth to fight the Yeerks, and his ship crashed.  
  
Visser Three killed him, but not before he could give me and the  
  
other Animorphs the ability to morph so we could fight the  
  
Yeerks." I had tears in my eyes now, as did Aidan. "That's how our  
  
father died. And I had to see it, not knowing he was my father until  
  
many months later."   
  
"That's so terrible," Aidan whispered. She came over to where I sat  
  
and wrapped her arms around me. We sat like that for a while,  
  
crying. Then I looked at the watch Rachel had given me.   
  
"It's late," I said. "If we fall asleep right now, we can get a good  
  
five hours before Rachel's mom wakes up at 7:00."   
  
So I lay back down, and Aidan went back to her side of the  
  
makeshift bed and lay down. "Good night, brother," Aidan said.   
  
"Good night," I replied.   
  
I slept, dreamlessly, until Aidan woke me.   
  
5: Aidan   
  
According to Tobias's watch, it was 4:00 a.m. when Cassie,  
  
Marco, Rachel, and Jake ran into the barn. I sat up, instantly alert.  
  
Tobias just mumbled in gibberish and turned onto his other side.   
  
"Tobias! Wake up!" I cried, shaking him. He didn't stir. What the.  
  
. . ? I slapped him across the face.   
  
"Huh?!" he yelled, sitting bolt upright. Then he relaxed when he  
  
saw it was me.   
  
"Tobias, Aidan, get up!" Jake said. He climbed up the ladder to the  
  
hayloft where I was folding up the blanket. "We have an  
  
emergency mission."   
  
"What's wrong?" Tobias asked.   
  
"It's Jara," Cassie whispered. "He's really sick."   
  
Tobias didn't wait for Jake to get off of the ladder. He jumped out  
  
of the hayloft and had turned to hawk before he even reached the  
  
ground.   
  
"Woah, woah, calm down, dude," Jake said, snatching Tobias up  
  
and looking into his eyes. "Morph out." Then he sat the hawk  
  
down.   
  
Tobias demorphed and said, "Sorry, but when you burst in here and  
  
tell me something's wrong at 4:00a.m., I have a tendency to be  
  
jumpy."   
  
"It's okay, Tobias," Rachel said. "Don't wig out."   
  
"So, what's wrong with Jara?" I asked. "Better yet, who is Jara?"   
  
"Jara Hamee is one of the free Hork-Bajir," Jake explained. "The  
  
free Hork-Bajir like in a valley in the mountains."   
  
"Free Hork-Bajir?!" I cried. "This is wonderful! How were they set  
  
free?"   
  
Tobias raised his hand. "That would be me," he sighed. "The  
  
Ellimist used me as a guide for the Hork-Bajir. For that, I got my  
  
morphing powers back."   
  
"But you remained a nothlit?" I asked. "The Ellimist didn't even  
  
return you to your human form?"   
  
He shook his head sadly. "Not until now."   
  
I was very mad at the Ellimist. Not only had he taken me away  
  
from Earth, he also used my brother and made him stay in his hawk  
  
form for two years! This was definitely not a very considerate  
  
person.   
  
"So what do we do about Jara?" I asked.   
  
"First, we gotta fly to the Hork-Bajir Valley," Jake said. "Then we  
  
figure out from Toby if there's a cure-"   
  
"Who's Toby?" I asked.   
  
"Jara and his wife Ket's daughter, named after Tobias for helping  
  
them," Cassie responded. "She's a seer, which is a Hork-Bajir  
  
that's as smart as a human."   
  
I raised my right eyebrow. A smart Hork-Bajir? This I had to see.   
  
"If there is a cure, we get it," Jake went on. "If there's not, there  
  
isn't anything we can do."   
  
"How did you guys know Jara's sick?" I asked. "Obviously you  
  
haven't been to the Hork-Bajir Valley, or you'd have already asked  
  
for the cure, right?"   
  
"Toby kind of sent a vision to Cassie, who morphed a osprey and  
  
told the rest of us," Jake said.   
  
"Well, we were right here in the barn, Cass, why didn't you come  
  
here first?" Tobias asked. "We could have helped gather the  
  
others."   
  
"Well, to tell you the truth, I forgot you guys were in here," Cassie  
  
replied, biting her lip. "I'm used to Tobias being in his territory."   
  
"Oh, well, now I really feel loved," Tobias said sarcastically,  
  
rolling his eyes. The others paused, as if they weren't sure if my  
  
brother was joking or serious. But as a smile creeped across  
  
Tobias's face, it was followed by the ones on the others' faces.   
  
"Well, I guess we should fly to the Hork-Bajir Valley as soon as  
  
possible," Jake said. "If we take more than three hours, Rachel will  
  
have missed her chance with her mom."   
  
"Yeah, let's go bird," Tobias confirmed, nodding his head, which  
  
was already beginning to change. I had to acquire it first, but soon  
  
we were all in our owl morphs.   
  
Wow, Earth sure does have some excellent animals, I said,  
  
thinking aloud. I hadn't meant to say it.   
  
You think this is cool, wait till we show you a wolf, Marco  
  
replied. Or a dolphin, a dog. Wolves and dogs have excellent  
  
senses of smell. A wolf could probably smell what you ate for  
  
breakfast a day before you even came here.   
  
What about a dolphin? I asked.   
  
They're just fun, Marco said, sounding like he was trying not to  
  
laugh. Man, those guys like to play.   
  
Well, he was certainly sounding less upset than the night before. I  
  
took it as a good sign, that maybe I would fit in with these humans.   
  
Don't forget about an elephant, Rachel added. Stepping on  
  
stuff and crashing around!   
  
After a while, we made it to the Hork-Bajir valley. We all  
  
demorphed to normal, and I remembered to morph the leotard  
  
Rachel gave me. At first, I was worried that it might not be enough  
  
clothing, but I saw that the other girls also had only a leotard on,  
  
the boys had some really tight/small shorts and t-shirts.   
  
Then, a Hork-Bajir came up to us. She was a young Hork-Bajir, so  
  
I figured it was the one they were talking about earlier, Toby the  
  
seer. "Greetings, friends," she said. "Where is friend Tobias?"   
  
Tobias cleared his throat. "I'm right here, I'm just not a hawk  
  
anymore."   
  
"Ah, I see," Toby replied, looking Tobias over. Then she pointed at  
  
me. "Who is this new human?"   
  
"Toby, this is Aidan," Rachel said. "She's Tobias's twin sister."   
  
The Hork-Bajir nodded at me in acknowledgment, then said,  
  
"Well, as you know, my father is very sick."   
  
"What's wrong with him?" Cassie asked gently. "Is there some  
  
way we can help him?"   
  
"He has an illness that isn't known to us," Toby replied sadly, "so  
  
we don't know if there is a treatment. We were hoping maybe you  
  
could see him and figure out if it is an Earth illness."   
  
So we all walked over to where Jara lay. He looked terrible. His  
  
nose has stuff running out of it, his eyes watered badly, and every  
  
few seconds, he would cough. I had no idea what it was.   
  
"It's a cold," Marco said simply. "Jara has a cold. I didn't know  
  
Hork-Bajir could get colds."   
  
"What is a cold?" I asked. Everyone stared at me for a moment.   
  
"Oh, that's right, they probably wouldn't have colds on the  
  
Andalite Home World, since there weren't any humans other than  
  
you," Cassie said. "A cold is where you cough and sneeze, and  
  
your nose runs, your eyes water. You can even have a fever with a  
  
cold. They make you feel miserable."   
  
My eyes were wide. It sounded awful!   
  
Tobias saw my fear as I slowly backed away from Jara. "Don't  
  
worry, Aidan, colds are really easy to treat. All you need is some  
  
medicine from the drug store."   
  
"Can we use cough syrup and stuff like that on Jara?" Jake asked  
  
Cassie.   
  
"I don't know, I'm not exactly an expert on Hork-Bajir," Cassie  
  
said. "We can try, though."   
  
We figured it only took one person to run home for cold medicine.  
  
Jake remorphed to his owl form and took off at top speed. He  
  
returned a short while later with a leather pouch around his neck.  
  
Marco took it off of him before he demorphed. Then Jake pulled a  
  
small container of liquid and a small container of pills out of the  
  
pouch.   
  
"The liquid is cold stuff, you know, for his cough and if he has a  
  
fever," Jake said, reading the label on the bottle. "The pills are  
  
decongestants. They'll take the snot out of his nose." Then he  
  
pulled some tissues from the pouch. "And these are to blow your  
  
nose with, Jara."   
  
As Jake explained to Jara about blowing his nose and told Toby  
  
when he should take which medicine, the rest of us began  
  
morphing owls. That went a whole lot quicker than I thought it  
  
would, Marco said.   
  
At least we knew what it was right away, Rachel replied.   
  
And how to treat it, Cassie added. Now we can all go home.   
  
Then Jake morphed owl and we began flying back to our homes.  
  
Tobias and I, though, flew to the barn.   
  
"I don't know about you, but I'm not going to sleep for only an  
  
hour. Pointless," Tobias said. "It takes me that long to fall asleep  
  
anyway."   
  
"Yeah, me too," I replied. "So let me get the plan strait: First, we  
  
go to Rachel's at 7:00a.m., then we lock her, Rachel, and us into a  
  
room and tell her about the morphing, the Andalites, the Ellimist,  
  
and the Yeerks."   
  
Tobias nodded. "Then we explain our situation, and we ask if we  
  
can stay at her house, cause we can't live in Cassie's barn  
  
forever."   
  
"And we pray that she says yes," I added.   
  
"Pretty much," he replied.   
  
"Nice plan," I said. "Will she be able to get us into school with the  
  
others?"   
  
"I honestly don't know," Tobias replied. "Rachel thinks maybe if  
  
we asked, they'd let you test into our grade. But try not to go  
  
higher than our grade in school, okay? That would kind of be  
  
missing the point."   
  
"I'll try not to, brother," I replied. "You'll have to help me study  
  
for the things I don't know, though."   
  
"Of course," Tobias smiled. "What do you think brothers are for?  
  
Besides, we can help each other if we can get ahold of some  
  
books."   
  
Then I caught a glance of his watch. "It's 10 to 7:00, Tobias," I  
  
said. "If we want to meet Rachel in her room first, we should leave  
  
now."   
  
So we both morphed our red-tail hawk morphs and flew out. The  
  
sun was low, but it still sent a few thermals rising off the ground.  
  
Especially over pavement.   
  
We flew over Jakes house and saw his head was out the window,  
  
looking at the sky for us. Wish us luck, fearless leader, Tobias  
  
called to him. Jake nodded.   
  
Then we reached our destination: Rachel's house. Tobias landed on  
  
the bird house, and I landed on a low branch. My brother  
  
"knocked" on the window with his wing; a sound that wouldn't be  
  
noticed unless you were used to listening for it. Rachel got out of  
  
her bed and opened the window, which Tobias and I flew in  
  
through.   
  
We demorphed and Rachel handed Tobias a pair of jeans and a  
  
shirt. For me, she opened he closet and brought out a short-sleeve  
  
shirt and a pair of kakhis. We were still barefoot, but it was a vast  
  
improvement from our morphing outfits.   
  
Then the three of us walked silently to Rachel's mother's room and  
  
opened the door. The woman was still asleep, because it wasn't  
  
quite seven yet.   
  
"Mom, wake up," Rachel said, shaking her mother gently. "I need  
  
to ask you something."   
  
Her mom sat up and opened her eyes sleepily. They snapped open  
  
at the sight of my brother and me. "Honey, who are your friends,  
  
and why are they over at 7:00 a.m.?" She eyed Tobias suspiciously.   
  
"Mom this is Tobias," she said, pointing at my brother, "and  
  
Aidan," she said, pointing at me. "We need to tell you a few things,  
  
but first have to swear you won't be mad or tell a single soul.  
  
Ever."   
  
Her mom nodded, and again, glared at Tobias suspiciously. Tobias  
  
looked at her as though he was saying, "What? I didn't do anything  
  
wrong."   
  
"Okay, what we're going to tell you is kind of hard to believe, and  
  
you probably won't like it-" Rachel began.   
  
"What is it?!" Naomi demanded, her temper short.   
  
"Mom, just let me finish!"   
  
"Sorry."   
  
"Anyway, you might not believe it, so we're going to give you a  
  
demonstration first," Rachel concluded.   
  
"But don't flip out," Tobias added.   
  
"Tobias, go hawk, then immediately demorph. Aidan, ditto," she  
  
whispered. "I'll go eagle."   
  
Her mom waited impatiently. "Well?"   
  
So we got to work. Tobias and I began morphing our red-tails, and  
  
Rachel began her eagle morph.   
  
Rachel's mom hadn't listened to Tobias; she was screaming.   
  
Mom! Shut up! Rachel exclaimed. You'll scare the girls!   
  
Tobias went over to her and placed his half-morphed hand over her  
  
mouth. Shhhhhhhhhhhh, he said. We aren't going to hurt you.   
  
Trust us, I added.   
  
Rachel's mom nodded, and Tobias removed his hand. "What are  
  
you?" she whispered. "You aren't my daughter."   
  
Yes I am, mom, Rachel replied calmly. I can just do this  
  
thing. Then, in a private message, she told us, Morph back.  
  
Don't finish.   
  
"Ma'am, Rachel's right," I said. "We're normal, sort of, but we can  
  
morph."   
  
"We have to," Rachel added. "It's our duty."   
  
"Why?!" she demanded. "Why would my daughter and two total  
  
strangers-"   
  
"They aren't strangers, mom, I've known Tobias for two years,"  
  
Rachel cut her off. "And Aidan's his sister. Plus there's cousin  
  
Jake, Cassie, and Jake's friend Marco." Naomi was shocked upon  
  
hearing the familiar names. Her nephew, Rachel's best friend.   
  
"Well, then why do you, this boy you know, his sister, your cousin,  
  
your best friend, and Jake's friend need to turn into birds?!" Her  
  
mother got out of bed and put on her robe.   
  
"Well, that's the part you won't believe." I said.   
  
6: Tobias   
  
"Honey, what are you talking about?" Rachel's mom asked.   
  
"Naomi, listen," I said to Rachel's mom. "Haven't you ever  
  
wondered if maybe we aren't alone in the universe? Well, we  
  
aren't. There are Yeerks, Hork-Bajir, Taxxons, and Andalites. And  
  
that's just on this planet."   
  
"The Andalites are the good guys, along with a few Hork-Bajir, but  
  
the Yeerks, Taxxons, and most of the Hork-Bajir are evil," Rachel  
  
said. Then she explained the Yeerks and other assorted aliens.  
  
Aidan even morphed an Andalite (one of her friends from the  
  
Andalite Home World), and I morphed Jara Hamee.   
  
"Well, I don't know what to say," Naomi said after a moment.  
  
"Why haven't you told me before?"   
  
"We weren't sure if you were a Controller, and there wasn't ever a  
  
reason to," Rachel replied. "But now there is."   
  
"What is it?" Rachel's mom asked.   
  
"Mom, remember when I said that if you stay in morph too long,  
  
you can't change back? Well, that happened to Tobias. For the last  
  
two years, he's been a hawk, but the Ellimist changed him back  
  
again," Rachel explained.   
  
"But my uncle and aunt have passed away, so I have nowhere to  
  
go," I added. "And you remember the Andalites? Well, Aidan had  
  
lived on the Andalite Home World until yesterday, when the  
  
Ellimist brought her back here. That's when we discovered Aidan  
  
and I were twins. So we both haven't got anywhere to stay."   
  
"We were wondering if they could live here," Rachel asked. "They  
  
wouldn't be any trouble, we swear."   
  
"This is a bit much," Naomi said. "I mean, all the things you've  
  
told me, and then hitting me with two more kids? It's not just  
  
insanity, it's surreal!"   
  
"Well, where will they live? The woods?! Come on, mom!" Rachel  
  
exclaimed. "Tobias and Aidan are two of my best friends.  
  
Wouldn't you do everything in your power to help out your best  
  
friends if they needed it?"   
  
Rachel's mom didn't speak for a few moments. Finally, she said, "I  
  
suppose that Sarah and Jordan could share Sarah's room, Aidan  
  
could share your room, and Tobias could have Jordan's room.  
  
You'll have to get jobs for after-school and on weekends to soften  
  
the finical blow. But I guess that they can stay, given their. . .  
  
unique situation."   
  
Rachel hugged me. Then, feeling self-concious, she let go and  
  
embraced her mother, and we ended up in one huge group hug.  
  
"Thank you, Mrs. Rachel's Mom," I said. Naomi smiled at my  
  
attempt to cheer her up. "We also have another question: Can you  
  
get Aidan and me into school? I missed two years when I was a  
  
hawk, and Aidan's been on another planet, so it's not like we can  
  
just show up. But I've been keeping up by helping Rachel with her  
  
homework, and Aidan went to an Andalite school, so all she has to  
  
learn is history and geography. Is there some way we can get in?  
  
Some test we can take?" I asked.   
  
"I don't know, but if you know the stuff like you say you do, and  
  
you went to school here before, then I'd bet there's some way we  
  
could get you in," Naomi replied. "Let's see how it goes. First, we  
  
have to move you two in."   
  
"That shouldn't be too hard. They have no belongings. Tobias's  
  
were all lost when his uncle died, and Aidan's aren't on Earth,"  
  
Rachel said sadly. "But it's not like their uncle gave Tobias much,  
  
anyways. He was a jerk."   
  
Naomi looked at me, then Aidan, then me again, and for the first  
  
time, there was sympathy in he eyes. "Why do you keep saying  
  
uncle'?" she asked.   
  
I looked down for a second, then re-met her gaze. It was for  
  
dramatic effect. I'd told and re-told the story so long that it didn't  
  
bother me too much anymore. "My mom disappeared when I was  
  
really little, and I never really had a dad. I always lived with either  
  
an aunt or uncle. When they were sick of having some kid live in  
  
their house that knew they were a drunk or a jerk, breathing up  
  
their air and taking up the empty space in their house, they'd send  
  
me to the other one for a while."   
  
"I was raised by aliens, so I never knew my real parents either, as  
  
you know." Aidan added. "I didn't even know about them till  
  
yesterday when Tobias told me."   
  
"I'm sorry," Naomi said quietly.   
  
"Wow, it just occurred to me how insane this conversation is," I  
  
laughed after a pause. "Aliens, disappearing moms. Madness."   
  
"Well, to totally change the subject, it's 10 after 7:00, and you need  
  
to get ready for work," Rachel said, sensing my discomfort on the  
  
subject of my past.   
  
"And not to worry, ma'am, we won't have any wild parties while  
  
you're gone," I winked and added for humor. It worked. The girls  
  
laughed.   
  
Rachel's mom sort of half-smiled. "Rachel, despite what you guys  
  
do for kicks, I think I like your friends."   
  
THAT EVENING   
  
Naomi walked in as I hung up the phone. I'd called Jake and  
  
briefly told him (in code) that Aidan and I would be staying at  
  
Rachel's, and her mom knew about us now. His brother needed the  
  
phone, though, so we had to hang up.   
  
"Who was that?" Rachel's mom asked, setting down her briefcase.   
  
"Oh, just Jake," I replied casually. Her brow creased. She knows  
  
that Jake is our sort-of-leader. "I was just filling him in, Mrs.  
  
Rachel's Mom, there was no business in that call."   
  
"Call me Naomi," she said absently as she pulled her briefcase  
  
onto a table and took several papers out of it. "Where are Rachel  
  
and Aidan?"   
  
"Rachel, being Rachel, insisted on taking Aidan to the mall to get  
  
some new clothes," I laughed, rolling my eyes. "She tried to make  
  
me come too, but I know how Rachel gets in that mall when she's  
  
on a mission; we'd be there till sunrise."   
  
"Well, my daughter does have a thing for the mall, doesn't she?"  
  
Naomi replied. "I swear that girl was born with a credit card in her  
  
hand."   
  
"That's my Rachel," I said affectionately. We laughed, but then she  
  
grew suddenly serious. "What's wrong?" I asked.   
  
"Tobias, can I ask you a personal question?" she asked. I nodded.  
  
She put her hand on her chin.   
  
"Okay, good. Um, you and Rachel are just friends, right? I mean,  
  
you aren't her boyfriend or anything, are you? I could have sworn I  
  
heard your name come up before, and I kind of noticed a bit of a,  
  
um, how can I put this delicately? Closeness? Am I right in my  
  
suspicions?" she asked.   
  
I felt my face turn red. "Uh, just really close friends. I've known  
  
the girl for two years. But, yeah, friends," I said, feeling more than  
  
slightly stupid. "No matter how much I wish otherwise," I muttered  
  
under my breath. I guess it was louder than I intended, though,  
  
because Naomi cocked an eyebrow after I said it. I could have  
  
kicked myself.   
  
"Really?" she said. "Well, I was just checking, because I don't  
  
want any raging hormones or awkward breakups. Understood?"   
  
"Don't worry, ma'am, I've got my hormones in check," I replied.  
  
"Besides, Rachel's the most beautiful, popular girl in school. Guys  
  
would die for her. I'll bet when the school year starts, she'll have  
  
so many guys -more important, popular guys mind you- lined up to  
  
go out with her, I'll be vapor," I added sadly. Then I laughed.  
  
"She'll figure I'm just one of the girls."   
  
Rachel's mom laughed at the joke. I was relieved, as I'm not the  
  
funniest guy around. "One of the girls, eh?" She laughed again.  
  
"Well, I must say, Rachel has some pretty funny friends."   
  
Naomi laughed and it was then that I noticed the little white boxes  
  
on the kitchen table. "Ooooh, are we having Chinese takeout for  
  
dinner?" I asked, changing the subject.   
  
"Yes. Can you go tell Jordan and Sarah to come downstairs and  
  
wash their hands?" she asked.   
  
I hesitated. "Uh, yeah. No prob." See, I had gone flying that day, so  
  
the girls had never met me.   
  
Jordan was about two years younger than Rachel, so she was  
  
around 14, and Rachel had said Sarah was about 7 and a half.   
  
I slowly climbed the stairs and approached a door that I knew was  
  
one of their bedrooms. I knocked on the door with the knuckle of  
  
my index finger. There was no answer. I knocked louder. No reply.  
  
I pressed my ear to the door. Jordan was talking on the phone.  
  
"Jordan?" I called, knocking on the door again.   
  
She hung up the phone, opened the door and gave me an evil look.  
  
Then her look softened and she looked me up and down (typical  
  
girl). "Who are you?" she asked.   
  
"Tobias," I said, not really explaining anything. "It's time for  
  
dinner. Your mom said to tell you to come downstairs and wash  
  
your hands."   
  
"Okay, hang on," she said, slamming the door on my face. I sighed  
  
and moved on to Sarah's room.   
  
"Sarah?" I said gently, in my talking-to-little-kids voice, knocking  
  
on the door. "Are you in there?"   
  
A little girl opened it and asked. "Do you wanna play Barbies?"   
  
"Uh, no," I replied. "Your mom said it's time for you to wash your  
  
hands and get ready for dinner."   
  
She came out and we started down the stairs. Jordan, finally  
  
emerging from her room, was right behind us. "Are you sure you  
  
don't wanna play Barbies? You can be Ken," Sarah persisted.   
  
"Of course he doesn't," Jordan replied for me. "He's a guy. Duh.  
  
Guys don't play Barbies." Sarah looked at me with the sad  
  
puppy-dog look.   
  
I sighed. "Maybe later, okay?" I lied. As we reached the bottom of  
  
the stairs, Rachel and Aidan walked in. Each carried at least 3 or 4  
  
full shopping bags. "Hi," I called to them.   
  
"Everyone, come to the kitchen," Naomi said. "Dinner's ready."   
  
So we all assembled in the kitchen, and Rachel's mom gave us  
  
each a soda and a plate of Chinese food.   
  
"Mommy, who are those people?" Sarah asked, pointing at me and  
  
my sister.   
  
"Girls, I need to talk to you about that," Naomi replied. She said  
  
our names and told Jordan and Sarah that we were Rachel's  
  
friends. "They're going to be living with us."   
  
"Why?" Jordan asked.   
  
Naomi looked at me, and I said, "Our parent's died a long time  
  
ago, and we lived with our uncle. But he just passed away." Aidan  
  
nodded at Jordan, who gave her a questioning look.   
  
"I'm sorry," Jordan said. "So, you two are brother and sister?" she  
  
asked.   
  
"Twins," Rachel replied.   
  
"Cool!" Sarah exclaimed.   
  
"Do you guys have that psychic twin bond thing that twins have on  
  
TV?" Jordan asked.   
  
"Yeah," Aidan and I said at the same time. Rachel's sisters  
  
laughed. When we both sat down our forks and took a drink of our  
  
sodas in unison, the girls were awestruck.   
  
"So, what rooms are you guys gonna have?" Jordan asked.   
  
"Actually, Jordan," Naomi said, "you'll share a room with Sarah,  
  
Aidan will share with Rachel, and Tobias will have your old  
  
room."   
  
"Why does Tobias get his own room?" Sarah whined.   
  
"Because girls and boys don't share rooms," Rachel replied. "And  
  
there aren't any boys for him to share with, are there?"   
  
"Oh," Sarah said.   
  
"Well, dinner was really good, ma'am," I said, taking my plate to  
  
the sink.   
  
"Tobias, do you want to go for a walk after I'm finished?" Rachel  
  
asked.   
  
"Sure," I replied. "I'd love to."   
  
"Well, then, I'm done," Rachel said, putting her plate in the sink as  
  
well. "Mom, while we're gone, do you think you can find some  
  
history and geography books for Aidan?"   
  
"Sure," Naomi replied. "You guys don't stay out too long. Be  
  
home by 9:00."   
  
"We will," I said, as Rachel and I walked out the door. The sun  
  
was setting, creating a beautiful blaze across the sky.   
  
"Hey, you'll never believe what your mom asked me today," I said,  
  
making conversation. Rachel stopped walking and looked at me.  
  
"She asked if we were, you know, together."   
  
"And what did you say?" Rachel asked.   
  
"I told her the answer she wanted to hear," I replied. "We're just  
  
friends."   
  
"Oh," Rachel said quietly. We walked in silence. "Are we?" she  
  
asked after a while.   
  
"I don't know," I said. We stopped walking. "It seems like it,  
  
doesn't it? That we're just friends?" I winced as I noticed how  
  
harsh my voice sounded.   
  
We stood for a moment, looking into each other's eyes. I looked at  
  
the ground. "You know how I feel," Rachel said, her voice barely  
  
above a whisper.   
  
I shook my head. "Actually, I don't," I said, almost bitterly.   
  
"I care about you, Tobias."   
  
I met her gaze. "You do?" I asked.   
  
"Of course I do," Rachel replied. "I have for the past two years."   
  
My heart skipped a beat. "I care about you, too, Rachel."   
  
Now it was her turn to be surprised. "Really? I never knew. . . well,  
  
that's not right, I thought that maybe, but I didn't know. . ."   
  
"Shhhhhhh," I whispered. I leaned forward and met her lips with  
  
mine. We kissed, and it was gentle and sweet.   
  
Then we pulled apart, realizing we were on the sidewalk in front of  
  
a house. I turned and looked at the house, and to my complete  
  
horror, saw the face of Matt (one of the guys from school that  
  
hated me and loved Rachel) gazing back at me. He glared at me.  
  
"Oh, great," I muttered. I grabbed Rachel's hand and we jetted out  
  
of there.   
  
We walked around the streets of the town. Then we walked  
  
through the park. In the park, we stopped and kissed again. I was in  
  
Heaven.   
  
As we walked in the door, Rachel's mom called us into her room.  
  
"I told you two not to be out too late. Do you know what time it  
  
is?"   
  
I looked at my watch. "Uh, 9:37," I said.   
  
Rachel's mom had a stern look on her face. "I'm very disappointed  
  
in both of you. Rachel, go to your room. Tobias, I made up the  
  
couch for tonight."   
  
"Sorry, mom," Rachel said as she left the room. I headed  
  
downstairs and saw Aidan asleep on the recliner. I lay on the couch  
  
and fell asleep.   
  
The next day, Cassie called and said we had to meet in the barn.   
  
"So, how are things at Rachel's working out?" Jake asked us.   
  
"Well, we told her mom about the Yeerks and the Animorphs like  
  
we planned, but decided not to tell her sisters. They might tell other  
  
people," I replied. "At first, she didn't believe us and said we  
  
couldn't stay, but after a while she agreed."   
  
"Good, that's one problem off our shoulders," Jake said. "Now we  
  
have to worry about Jara."   
  
"Why don't we fly out there and check on him?" Marco asked.   
  
So we all morphed birds. Halfway there, though, it began to rain.  
  
Lets demorph, then go wolf, Rachel suggested.   
  
Okay, Jake said. Soon, we weren't six wet birds, we were six  
  
wet wolves. I have the feeling that wolves aren't water proof.  
  
We arrived at the Hork-Bajir Valley and demorphed. Toby came  
  
and showed us to Jara's area of the Rain Cave.   
  
"I don't know how, but the things you gave us have worked. My  
  
father is feeling much better," Toby said. "Thank you, friends."   
  
"Any time, Toby," Marco replied. Out of the corner of my eye, I  
  
saw his hand brush against Aidan's.   
  
Unlike every other girl in the universe, though, she didn't seem to  
  
mind.   
  
"Well, let's head back," I said. "I don't want to get caught in a  
  
storm or anything." We all remorphed and ran as fat as our wolf  
  
legs could carry us.   
  
"Where were you three?" Rachel's mom asked when we returned.   
  
"Duty called," Rachel answered. "We were at the Hork-Bajir  
  
Valley."   
  
"Oh," Naomi said, shuddering at the memory of my H-B morph.  
  
"Well, for lunch, how does SubWay sound? I don't feel like  
  
making anything."   
  
"Sounds good to me," Rachel said.   
  
"Yeah, me too," I added.   
  
"What's a SubWay?" Aidan asked. We all laughed.   
  
7: Aidan   
  
I was getting used to Earth quicker than I thought I would. It  
  
wasn't much like the place I grew up at, but I still loved it. The  
  
food didn't all taste the same, and their were different things to  
  
wear, and there were so many humans! I already had 5 new friends.   
  
We ate lunch at a restaurant called SubWay. It was great! Jordan  
  
and Sarah   
  
were at friends' houses, so they didn't come.   
  
Rachel got a salad instead of a sub, and it looked better than the  
  
sandwich Tobias and Rachel's mother got. I got the same thing as  
  
Rachel. The flavor of the salad reminded me of my old home.   
  
After lunch, Rachel's mom went home. The three of us went to a  
  
movie. It was about people in love who couldn't be together.  
  
Tobias said it was a total rip off of Romeo and Juliet. I had no idea  
  
what he was talking about.   
  
A few times, when I turned to Rachel for popcorn (a wonderful  
  
food), she and Tobias would be kissing, so I wouldn't ask for the  
  
popcorn. I figured that they'd probably be mad if I bothered them.   
  
Later that day, when we got home, I pulled Rachel into her room.  
  
"Rachel, are you in love with my brother?" I asked.   
  
Rachel blushed and said, "Um, I really care about him. Why do you  
  
ask?"   
  
"Oh, I was just wondering," I said, sitting down on the bed.   
  
"I hope you aren't mad or grossed out or whatever," she said. "I  
  
hate it when guys have brothers or sisters that can't stand their  
  
brothers being with someone."   
  
"Oh, don't worry, it's not like that," I said reassuringly.   
  
"Okay, good."   
  
"I mean, it isn't my business, I just kind of noticed little things  
  
between you two."   
  
"Well, he's your brother, and as long as you're okay with it. . ." she  
  
trailed off.   
  
I smiled. "Personally, I think it's kind of cute."   
  
"What's kind of cute?" Tobias said. I spun around to see him in the  
  
doorway, a big grin across his face. When we didn't answer, he  
  
said, "C'mon, girls, what are you two talking about?"   
  
"Nothing," I said. "Absolutely nothing."   
  
He laughed out loud. "Whatever you say, Aidan. Anyway, I was  
  
just going to tell you two that I was going to the mall with Jake and  
  
Marco. I need clothes, and, unfortunately, a job."   
  
"I want to come," I said.   
  
"Me too," Rachel added.   
  
Tobias rolled his eyes and groaned. "Okay, but no dragging me into  
  
stores."   
  
"Oh, of course not," Rachel said innocently. "I'll just lend you my  
  
fashion expertise. And stop you from buying ugly clothes."   
  
We walked to the mall and met Marco and Jake in the food court.  
  
"Somehow, I knew that Rachel would be coming. You can't say  
  
mall' without Rachel coming along," Marco said. "It's inevitable."   
  
"Yeah," Jake laughed.   
  
"So, where are we going first?" I asked.   
  
"How about Sears?" Rachel said. "They're having a-"   
  
"-Sale?" everyone finished. Everyone but me, that is.   
  
"Oh, shut up, you guys," Rachel said. "And yes, they just so  
  
happen to be having a sale, and there is nothing wrong with that."   
  
"Well, can we just go get it over with?" Marco said. "Shopping  
  
with Rachel in the mall on a Saturday when there are sales  
  
running? Not exactly my idea of a relaxing day."   
  
I laughed. "I know, I went shopping with her yesterday."   
  
"How about you and I sneak away once Rachel goes into  
  
full-fledged shoppaholic mode?" Marco whispered. "I'll buy you a  
  
soda or something girlie."   
  
"Okay," I laughed.   
  
We didn't have to wait long. Soon enough, Rachel was pulling my  
  
poor brother around the mall like a maniac. When Tobias saw  
  
Marco and I subtly slip away, he silently pleaded, "Take me with  
  
you!"   
  
Marco and I slipped out of the department store and walked to the  
  
music store. "Have you heard human music before?" he asked.   
  
"No," I replied. He spotted a display with headphones and different  
  
musicians and led me over there. Then he coaxed me to put on the  
  
headphones over the display of a band called the Backstreet Boys.   
  
"All the girls I know like them," he said. I put on the headphones  
  
and he pushed the button. All I heard was a group of voices talking  
  
in a whiney tone, with little to no talent, and it sounded like they  
  
were all competing against one another, as well as the music. Not  
  
beautiful and harmonious, like music should be, like music I've  
  
heard. I took the headphones off.   
  
"Eeeew, that's human music?!" I demanded. "That was terrible!"   
  
"Finally, a girl with good music taste!" Marco exclaimed. Then he  
  
convinced me to put on the headphones of the band Silverchair.  
  
The song was called "Emotion Sickness". It was a work of beauty.   
  
"I like this one," I said. I also liked Jewel, Limp Bizkit, and Green  
  
Day. "I think humans are confused when it comes to music. It's all  
  
so different."   
  
"Yeah, but that's what makes it so cool, ya see," Marco replied.  
  
Then a couple of guys Marco knew came over to him.   
  
"Hey, Marco, who's the dame?" one of them asked. "She's pretty  
  
cute."   
  
"This is Aidan," he replied. "Aidan, this is Luke and Seth."   
  
"Hello," I said shyly.   
  
"You know what," Luke said, "this girl Aidan looks kind of  
  
familiar. Like someone that used to go to our school, only you  
  
didn't go to our school, did you?"   
  
"No, I don't," I replied. "But I might be."   
  
"Oh, well that's cool," Luke smiled. "At least we'll have one  
  
beautiful girl at our school. "   
  
"Hey, Luke, what's wrong with you?" Seth asked. "Stop flirting  
  
with Marco's girl."   
  
"Marco's girl?" Luke laughed. "Never thought I'd hear that  
  
phrase."   
  
"Shut up," Marco said, punching his friends playfully on the arm.  
  
"Besides, I thought you liked Rachel. She's pretty cute."   
  
Luke blushed. "Yeah, well, she's been blowing me off lately."   
  
"Oh, come on, Luke," Seth laughed. "You and I both know that the  
  
only time you've ever talked to Rachel was when she woke you up  
  
in science last year."   
  
"Um, Marco? Can we leave?" I asked.   
  
"Yeah, come on," Marco replied. He paid for the Silverchair CD's  
  
I liked, Freak Show and Neon Ballroom, and said, "See you guys  
  
later," to Luke and Seth.   
  
"Nice meeting you," I added.   
  
We walked to a store called Spencer's Gifts. "Ah, now this is my  
  
kind of store," Marco said. There were all sorts of weird lights,  
  
posters, toys, and even some jewelry. Marco was showing me the  
  
jewelry.   
  
He took a choker off the rack. It had flowers made out of beads in  
  
tones of black, brown, tan, and white on it. "This one would really  
  
look good with your hair color," he said, holding it up to my neck.   
  
I turned it over. "Isn't this kind of expensive?" The price tag said it  
  
was $12.95.   
  
Marco winced. "Oh, yeah." He put it back. Then we saw Rachel  
  
and the others. They saw us, too.   
  
"There you guys are!" Rachel exclaimed. "We were about to go to  
  
Abercrombie-"   
  
"No. We are not going to that store." Tobias said firmly. "I refuse  
  
to wear that stuff."   
  
I laughed at my brother. "We've been walking around the mall," I  
  
said. "And Marco even bought me this music." I pulled out the  
  
Silverchair CD's. "See?" I asked.   
  
All eyes turned to Marco. "What?" he asked. "So I bought the girl  
  
a present. Big deal."   
  
"Well, I'm really beginning to get tired of shopping," Tobias said.  
  
He seemed to give Marco a weird look, a definitely unpleasant  
  
look.   
  
"Me, too," Jake added. "Let's go home."   
  
We walked home. "Kids?" Rachel's mom called from upstairs.  
  
"Come here!"   
  
Tobias, Rachel, and I all exchanged a look. Then we dashed  
  
upstairs. Rachel's   
  
mom was in Rachel's room. "What is it? Did I do something  
  
wrong?" Tobias joked.   
  
We looked around. There were two beds, two dressers, each filled  
  
with beautiful clothing, bookshelves, a computer for each of us.  
  
There were all sorts of things for me and Rachel. Then we moved  
  
over to Jordan's room. Only, it wasn't Jordan's room anymore, it  
  
was Tobias's. There was a bed, dresser, desk with a computer on it,  
  
bookshelf, and all sorts of cool stuff. On the pillow was a note:  
  
"Children: I am sorry for all of the trouble and confusion I have  
  
caused in your lives. I know this will not make up for the hardship  
  
I've caused, but perhaps it will help. The Ellimist."   
  
Tobias and I exchanged a look. "I wonder if he did this for all the  
  
Animorphs, or just us three?" he asked. "Should I call Jake?"   
  
Rachel's mom nodded. "Go ahead."   
  
So he went over to his desk and picked up his phone. "Hey, Jake. I  
  
have a question," he began. "Is there anything different about your  
  
stuff? How about your room? No? Okay, bye, man." He hung up  
  
the phone. "I guess we're just the lucky ones."   
  
"Well, maybe he knew they couldn't get all new stuff because  
  
they'd have to explain it," Rachel offered. "With us, there's no  
  
explanation needed."   
  
"So, I guess the Ellimist isn't so bad after all," I said.   
  
8:Tobias   
  
Rachel, Aidan, Naomi, and I were blown away by the decency of  
  
the Ellimist. He just sort of made all this cool stuff appear,  
  
rearranged the rooms like we were going to, and even left a note.  
  
Before, I was definitely not the Ellimist's biggest fan, but now I  
  
was beginning to sort of like him.   
  
I was hanging out in my new room when I realized the Ellimist  
  
gave me a computer. It was a really nice one, an IMAC, and it was  
  
blue. I knew that the IMAC's were Internet computers, and so I  
  
turned it on.   
  
"Welcome," it greeted. "You have mail."   
  
"What? I haven't even signed on yet."   
  
"You have mail," it repeated.   
  
"Okay, the weirdness scale ranks this about an 9.0," I muttered. I  
  
moved the mouse and clicked on the mail icon. When it asked for  
  
my name and password, the keyboard typed it for me. The screen  
  
name that the Ellimist had chosen for me was RedTail_16, and the  
  
password was Honor. After the name and password were approved,  
  
it said, "You have one message."   
  
I clicked on the icon to read the message. "Tobias, I know you've  
  
never had a lot of personal belongings. Although material  
  
possessions do not define true happiness, you now have the world  
  
at your fingertips with this wonderful device. But be careful with it.  
  
Again, I am sorry for all the hardship I've caused, from taking your  
  
father and sister away, to making you remain a hawk. I hope you  
  
understand that it was all in you and your sister's best interests.  
  
The Ellimist."   
  
The Ellimist had e-mailed me. With all his power, he could have  
  
just stopped time and talked to me face to face. Instead, he  
  
e-mailed me!   
  
"Hey, Tobias," Rachel said. I turned around. "What're you doing?"   
  
"Just playing with my new toys," I grinned. "The Ellimist e-mailed  
  
me. Isn't that wild? He also set up my sign-on stuff for me. He  
  
made my screen name RedTail_16."   
  
"Well, at least we know one intergalactic being that has a sense of  
  
humor," Rachel laughed. "I didn't know you were an Internet  
  
junkie."   
  
"Oh, I'm not, but I used to go on-line with Marco, and he taught  
  
me the tricks of the web," I replied.   
  
"It really isn't that hard."   
  
I went to the chat area and began watching. Sometimes, it's more  
  
fun to watch than talk.   
  
"Why don't you say anything?" Rachel asked.   
  
"Well, most of the time, people use the chat rooms like a dating  
  
service," I said. "Watch this."   
  
I typed "Hey, 16/m here. If anyone wants to chat, send me a pm."   
  
"What's a pm?" Rachel asked.   
  
"A pm is a private message," I replied. "It's easier to talk to people  
  
if you use a private message box than if you used the room itself.  
  
Now watch the screen."   
  
That second, 17 girls sent me a pm. "Every last one of them are  
  
girls looking for their own personal Romeo. A few are even  
  
offering pictures."   
  
"What kind of pictures?" Rachel asked suspiciously.   
  
"You don't want to know," I said. "But see, if I don't talk to all of  
  
them, then I'm a jerk. But I can't possibly hold a conversation with  
  
all of em. That's why I don't talk in chatrooms." Then I sat there  
  
and told each one that I was already talking to someone else who  
  
sent me a pm before theirs got to me, left the chatroom, and shut  
  
down the computer.   
  
"So, do you wanna go for a walk?" I asked.   
  
"I was gonna ask if you wanted to walk the beach to look for shells  
  
with me," Rachel replied. "I haven't done that in years."   
  
"Sure," I said, looking at my watch. It was almost 6:00pm. "But we  
  
should go now if we want to see the sunset.." So we told Naomi  
  
where we were going, and left.   
  
The beach was beautiful. It was warm, and the sun was just starting  
  
to set. The sand was kind of hot, but since we were both wearing  
  
shorts, we just walked up to our ankles in water. Rachel had a  
  
small plastic bucket, and when we saw a shell that was pretty  
  
enough, she'd put it in her bucket.   
  
There was a large rock that jutted up about 5 feet tall from the  
  
beach near the water. Rachel and I climbed up on it with the bucket  
  
and watched the waves. We sat next to each other, with her head  
  
leaned on my shoulder. "Isn't the sunset beautiful?" I asked. But  
  
when I turned to Rachel, she was asleep, leaned against me. I  
  
stroked her long, blond hair affectionately, and began to hum a  
  
song that I couldn't remember the words to.   
  
THE NEXT DAY   
  
We were in the barn. Aidan was at home studying with Naomi.   
  
"Well, Jara's feeling as good as new," Cassie said, tending a  
  
raccoon's broken foot.   
  
"Cool," Jake said. "Did you go see them today?"   
  
"Yeah," Cassie replied. She closed and locked the cage door. "I  
  
hope you guys aren't mad at me for going alone, but I wasn't sure  
  
what you guys were doing."   
  
"News from our house," I announced. "Rachel, Naomi, and I have  
  
been helping Aidan learn history and geography."   
  
"She's learning really fast," Rachel added. "My mom says that  
  
she'll know as much in a few days as we learned as long as we've  
  
been in school. Aidan should have no problem testing in."   
  
"Sweet," Marco said. "So Aidan's a brain, eh?"   
  
Well, she was raised on the Andalite Home World, Ax said  
  
smugly. That should be of some benefit. We all ignored Ax's  
  
comment.   
  
"Yeah," I replied to Marco, "I guess so. But you know those  
  
Silverchair CD's you got her?" Marco nodded. "She listens to them  
  
all the time. When I was on-line yesterday, she made me go to a  
  
Silverchair web site so she could see what the band looks like. She  
  
threatened to hurt me if I didn't. Then she went on to tell me that  
  
she heard me singing Itsy bitsy spider' to Sarah, and that I sound  
  
like the singer in that group. It's really funny."   
  
"It is funny," Marco giggled. "You sang itsy bitsy spider'?" He  
  
giggled some more.   
  
"The kid's 7," I replied defensively. "All she knows is Itsy bitsy  
  
spider' and Mary had a little lamb'. What can you do?"   
  
"Aidan printed out a picture of Daniel Johns, the lead singer, to  
  
show me," Rachel said. "I discovered something. It's really weird."   
  
"What?" Jake asked, curious.   
  
"Daniel Johns looks almost exactly like Tobias," she announced.  
  
"Except Daniel is 19."   
  
"That is creepy," Marco said, looking at me. "But isn't the Daniel  
  
guy, like, anorexic?"   
  
Rachel shrugged. "I dunno. He's pretty skinny."   
  
"I think Daniel was anorexic at one time, but he got over it, and  
  
that's what Ana's Song' is about," I spoke up. Everyone stared at  
  
me. "What? She's my sister, she tells me stuff."   
  
"Well, if Jara's okay, and there's nothing else, can we go home?"  
  
Marco asked. "The National Cheerleading Competition is on in ten  
  
minutes."   
  
"Sure," Jake said.   
  
9: Aidan   
  
I sat at the table with Naomi, and she had many books about the  
  
history of the world stacked up. The one in front of me told of so  
  
many wars. The funny thing was, the wars were all with other  
  
humans, all on the same planet! It was ludicrous. I almost laughed.   
  
"Now, Aidan, when was the war of 1812?" Naomi asked.   
  
I gave her a look. "1812?" I offered, in a tone Rachel told me was  
  
sarcasm as ditz'. "And the Second World War was from  
  
1939-1945."   
  
"Very good. Where's Canada?"   
  
I pointed on a map. It was almost too much. "Why don't you ask  
  
me something harder?" I suggested politely.   
  
"Okay," Naomi said. "What's the capitol of the USSR?"   
  
"There is no USSR anymore," I sighed.   
  
"Very good," Naomi said. "Who was involved in the Civil War?  
  
And what was it over?"   
  
This was the war I hated. It involved the slavery of humans to other  
  
humans. I shuddered at the very thought. "The Confederacy and the  
  
Union, and it was over the Confederacy feeling oppressed by the  
  
Union," I recited. "Also, over the slavery thing," I added with sheer  
  
disgust.   
  
Then Rachel, Tobias, and Marco walked in, chatting amongst  
  
themselves. "Hi," I greeted.   
  
"Hi," they all replied. "Working hard or hardly working?" Marco  
  
joked. He walked over to where I sat and rested his chin on the top  
  
of my head. Naomi looked at Marco nervously. She knew he was  
  
one of us. I don't think the idea of having four of the six  
  
Animorphs together was very appealing to her.   
  
"Neither, both, I dunno," I replied, rolling my eyes. He laughed and  
  
took his chin off my head, and Rachel and Tobias walked into the  
  
kitchen and sat down at the table around me. I handed the book to  
  
Tobias. "Here, quiz me on something hard."   
  
He flipped it open to a random page, scanned it, then shut it.  
  
"Okay, sis, who was the President during the Spanish-American  
  
War?"   
  
"Um, McKinley? Or was it Roosevelt?" I thought aloud. "It was  
  
McKinley," I finally said.   
  
"Yep," Tobias said. "Good job, I didn't even know that one. Okay,  
  
what was the thing that started the Second World War?"   
  
"The German invasion of Poland."   
  
Marco nodded approvingly. "You'll do great, Aidan. This stuff is  
  
really boring, but you seem to know it well enough."   
  
"Yeah, well, I wanna get in school," I said. "I've been studying all  
  
day."   
  
Naomi must have thought we had a mission, cause she asked, "So,  
  
um, what are you guys doing today?"   
  
Rachel read her mom's expression. "Oh, no, mom, there's no  
  
mission right now. We Animorphs are friends in real life, too.  
  
Friends hang out." We all nodded at that. "We're teenagers, mom."   
  
"Oh, well, I just wanted to know what you guys were going to be  
  
doing. Three of you are my responsibility, Rachel."   
  
"We know, Naomi, and don't think we aren't grateful," Tobias  
  
said. "We are! But paranoia won't help our situation."   
  
Rachel added, "We planned on going to a movie if that's all right.  
  
And maybe some other stuff too." Naomi nodded, and she said,  
  
"Not sure when we'll be back. What time is it?"   
  
"10:23 a.m.," Marco said. "We'll be back before dinner."   
  
"Okay, have fun," Naomi said. We were out the door.   
  
"So, um, what movie do you want to see?" Tobias asked Rachel.  
  
"Something scary? Or something funny?"   
  
"Hmmmm, I was actually thinking more along the lines of  
  
something we aren't going to really watch," Rachel said. Tobias  
  
turned red, smiled, and Rachel put her arm around him. Marco  
  
cleared his throat.   
  
"Ahem, lovebirds, some of us aren't going to be all over each  
  
other, so it would be nice to pick out a good movie," Marco  
  
grinned.   
  
Tobias snapped out of his Rachel-daze. "Oh, um, yeah, how about  
  
the Blair Witch movie? I mean, it's been out for a while, but it's  
  
supposed to be cool." We all agreed on that. So we walked to the  
  
movie theater, talking and flirting amongst ourselves. You know,  
  
Rachel and Tobias flirting, Marco flirting with Rachel and me, and  
  
me not sure what to do.   
  
The theater was dark, darker than it had been when I went with  
  
Rachel and my brother. Tobias and Rachel sat on one side in the  
  
very back, and Marco and I sat on the other side, in the very back.  
  
"We should probably leave those two alone, if you know what I  
  
mean." The movie started, and I didn't really understand it, but  
  
Marco tried to explain what witches and such were to help. I  
  
glanced over at Rachel and Tobias, looking for some comforting  
  
sign that it was supposed to be this dark, and it was supposed to be  
  
this loud. They were of little help, though, because Rachel was  
  
acting like she was scared and was cuddling up to Tobias. I looked  
  
back at the screen.   
  
Marco yawned, stretched his arms up, and brought one arm down  
  
around my shoulder. Just then, there was a loud, long thing of  
  
shrieks in the movie, and without really thinking, I buried my head  
  
in Marco's shoulder to block them out. He kind of smiled, putting  
  
his arm around me for comfort and holding my hand.   
  
"It's okay, it's just a movie," he whispered. I knew how silly I  
  
looked, all huddled against this boy, but I was scared. I'd never  
  
heard such a terrible sound as a shriek. Marco squeezed my hand  
  
till the end credits. "See? The movie's over. No more Blair Witch  
  
Project." I looked up and to my relief, the screen had only words  
  
on it.   
  
When we met up with Rachel and my brother in the lobby  
  
afterwards, I glared at Tobias accusingly.   
  
"I thought you said that was a good movie! It was terribly loud, and  
  
scary, and-"   
  
Marco laughed. "Tobias, your sister spent the whole time using me  
  
as a shield from the screen, she was terrified." After a pause, he  
  
added, "But then again, you two didn't actually pay attention, so  
  
you don't know how scary the movie really was. You had your  
  
own little method of avoiding the screen." Tobias looked away,  
  
then cracked up.   
  
We all laughed. Marco was good at that, lightening the mood by  
  
making everyone laugh. I admired that in him. Now that I thought  
  
about it, I admired a lot in Marco. His wit, his sense of humor, his  
  
taste in music, even his looks, a little. Okay, a lot.   
  
10: Rachel   
  
We walked to the mall, much to my delight. I thought it would be  
  
fun. Apparently, the others thought differently. Tobias's mood  
  
sagged. Aidan wrinkled her nose. Marco whispered something to  
  
Aidan, and she laughed.   
  
"Hey, guys, Aidan and I wanna go check out the art and music  
  
stores," Marco said, pointing down the mall at the stores.   
  
"Me too," Tobias added. My jaw dropped. "No offense, Rach, I  
  
just wanted to go, cause I've never been there before."   
  
"Okay," I said warily. "I'll go too. Maybe we can stop at American  
  
Eagle along the-"   
  
"NO!" Tobias and Marco said in unison. Then they busted up  
  
laughing. "Sorry, Rach, but we don't want to be here all day, and  
  
I've got about $8 to my name," Tobias said, seeing the hurt look on  
  
my face. "Next time, okay?"   
  
So that's what they thought, eh? That I was some shopoholic who  
  
gets into a mall and can't control herself? I could control myself, I  
  
could.   
  
We went into the Camelot Music store, and the first thing Tobias  
  
did was go up to the counter and ask how old you had to be to  
  
work there. "16," the guy grunted. Tobias thanked him and grabbed  
  
up an application.   
  
Then we went to the art store. It wasn't very big, but it had so  
  
many paintings. They hung on the walls, leaned against the walls  
  
and shelves in horizontal stacks. Both Aidan and Tobias's eyes  
  
brightened at the sight of all the art. I had never known Tobias to  
  
be an art lover, but there he was, explaining to his sister about the  
  
great French Impressionists, and the Surrealism Movement of the  
  
20's. I was amazed. I was also a bit upset.   
  
"Why didn't you ever tell me you liked art?" I asked.   
  
Tobias gave me the idiot look. You know, that look that tells you  
  
that you just asked a really stupid question. "Puh-leeze!" he  
  
whispered. "And suffer the needless torture from not only Marco  
  
but school punks as well? No way. Would you also like me to tell  
  
you that I used to want to be in a band? And I draw, and write  
  
songs and poems? Want me to let that out, too?" he asked bitterly.   
  
I could have kicked myself. Tobias has had enough trouble with  
  
people beating him up for no reason from the get-go. He had a  
  
different, I don't know, aura about him, and I always thought that  
  
was so cool. The big punks at school thought he should be  
  
punished for it. Of course he wouldn't tell anyone things that were  
  
sure to get him twice the beat-downs.   
  
"Sorry," I said. I walked over to him and whispered softly in his  
  
ear, "I think it's cool. Our Tobias, a little cultured intellectual.  
  
Almost. . . sexy."   
  
Tobias had a look of total shock on his face. "R-really?" he  
  
managed to stammer out. "I could show you some drawings and  
  
songs when we get home. It's not good, but it's still something to  
  
show."   
  
I nodded. "Cool, I can't wait." See? Not just a ditz with a credit  
  
card. I care. That right there could have taken Tobias to a whole  
  
different level of his happiness, knowing someone cared. He didn't  
  
have a great history of people caring.   
  
We went home a bit later, about 4:30. Tobias and I went to his  
  
room and he pulled out a thin notebook out from under his bed.  
  
"It's, uh, it's got some stuff in it from memory. The real ones are at  
  
my uncles, but I'm copying them over from memory." He handed  
  
the notebook to me.   
  
I opened it to the middle page. On the right hand page was a poem,  
  
on the left was a sketch. It was of a kid sitting on the ground with  
  
his head in his hands, a framed picture beside him of a beautiful  
  
girl with long blond hair. I looked at the poem. It was untitled, in  
  
Tobias's unique handwriting. It read:   
  
Halfway through the night,   
  
alone in a place I call my own   
  
(sacred to me   
  
unknown to the world)   
  
I think of so many things   
  
until my jumbled mind rests   
  
(so tired of racing)   
  
on a thought of my desire   
  
for the warrior whom I adore   
  
(God knows I love her)   
  
and know I can never be with   
  
from the difference that can't change   
  
(flesh and feathers)   
  
and I come down from my tree   
  
melting away the feathers   
  
(I emerge from within)   
  
jumbled mind scolding me   
  
and sit in the place I call my own   
  
(sacred to me   
  
unknown to the world)   
  
with my head in my trembling hands   
  
weeping untill the tears run dry.   
  
It was my turn to be surprised. I looked at the date, realizing that  
  
he'd written it so long ago, a week after he got his morphing power  
  
back. Back then I hadn't realized how I felt about him, or if he felt  
  
the same. It was almost a shock. It was so long ago. . .   
  
"Oh, I guess it's too late to tell you not to read that one," Tobias  
  
winced, looking over at me. "It's terrible. It was really late at night,  
  
and I was kind of messed up from a battle. If I knew you were  
  
reading that one, I'd have told you not to."   
  
"No," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "It's really  
  
beautiful."   
  
I turned the page. The title was "Abuse Me", and I noticed that it  
  
wasn't by Tobias, it was by Silverchair, that band Aidan liked so  
  
much. The focus was on a pencil sketch, on the facing page, of a  
  
little boy all huddled in a corner, a man with a beer bottle in one  
  
hand, a thick leathery belt in the other hand, and a guy standing  
  
defiantly between them, forming a barrier between the man and his  
  
prey, protecting the boy. It was obvious who they all stood for. The  
  
child was Tobias's childhood, the man was his past, and the guy  
  
between them was supposed to be Tobias in the present.   
  
The poem, or song, actually, read:   
  
Need to ask a question   
  
Calling out my name   
  
Nothing seems to bother   
  
Wish I had a clue   
  
C'mon, abuse me more, I like it   
  
Well I don't think you like me   
  
Well I hate you as well   
  
No one seems to like you   
  
Wish I couldn't tell   
  
C'mon abuse me more, I like it   
  
C'mon keep talking cause it's true   
  
C'mon abuse me more I like it   
  
C'mon keep talking cause it's true   
  
Throw the sailors overboard   
  
Overboard   
  
I didn't know what to say. The song, written as a poem, was really  
  
dark, a sharp contrast to the previous poem. I had never seen  
  
Tobias as a dark person. The picture was even darker, because the  
  
figures were all backlit, so they had a shadowy look about them,  
  
making them almost cryptic looking. I looked up at Tobias. He  
  
wasn't looking at me, he was rummaging through some of the  
  
drawers of clothes the Ellimist gave him. "Rachel," he asked  
  
sweetly, "can you help me pick out something for tomorrow?"   
  
"What's tomorrow so important for?" I asked.   
  
"Job interview," he replied, wrinkling his nose to show he wasn't  
  
thrilled. "It's at this little cafe right next to the mall."   
  
I closed the notebook and sat it on his bed. Then I found him a pair  
  
of jeans and a dark red t-shirt with a black star on the chest. Red  
  
was definitely a good color for Tobias. And black. Then I realized  
  
that I'd never seen Tobias in anything white, or light colored. Ever.  
  
In one day, I realize Tobias's softer side, and his darker side, and  
  
the way they intertwined. That was almost unsettling.   
  
That night, I couldn't sleep. I plotted an idea to sneak into Tobias's  
  
room and steal that notebook to look at. As quietly as I could (so as  
  
not to wake Aidan), I crept down the hall. When I opened the door,  
  
though, Tobias wasn't asleep. He was sitting on his bed, writing in  
  
that notebook.   
  
"Hey," he greeted. "What's up? Or are you just being a little  
  
insomniac, like me?"   
  
"I'm a bit of an insomniac," I replied. "Actually, I was gonna come  
  
in here to look at that notebook of yours some more. It's really  
  
cool."   
  
"You think so?" Tobias asked. "I thought you'd think it was too  
  
dark, too not me' like everyone else who saw it."   
  
"It's you," I confirmed. "That's why it's so beautiful, because it is  
  
you."   
  
"Well, I'm glad someone likes it," Tobias smiled. "Wanna go  
  
flying? Right now? We could go owl. It'd be fun, and maybe the  
  
morphing will help get us tired."   
  
"Sure," I said. He climbed out of bed, shut and locked his door,  
  
and opened the window. He stuffed the notebook under his  
  
mattress. We morphed our great horned owl morphs and flew out  
  
into the cool night air. It felt good to be doing something instead of  
  
sitting around. The Yeerks had been unusually quiet, and so flying  
  
was one of the few things that was almost like a joyride. It took our  
  
minds away from the bad stuff like Yeerks. We just focused on  
  
flying. So that's what Tobias and I did; we flew.   
  
Ahhhh, feels good to stretch my wings, Tobias said. Woah,  
  
haven't mentioned the wings in a while, huh? That was different.   
  
Yeah, I said, distracted. There was a nice plump mouse on the  
  
ground, and my owl brain wanted so badly to eat it. Hey, want a  
  
mouse? For old time's sake? There's one down there.   
  
I know, Rachel, Tobias said, a smile in his voice. I was a  
  
predator for two years. I can spot a mouse. He swooped down,  
  
snagged it, and then let it drop. Actually, I guess I'm not too  
  
hungry.   
  
Well, just thought I'd tell you in case you were slacking off, I  
  
joked. You've been a human for a while now, out of practice.   
  
Well, thank ye kindly, miss, Tobias drawled. Then he laughed.   
  
You know what you said about wanting to be in a band when you  
  
were younger? I asked.   
  
Yeah, but I don't-   
  
I think you should meet this kid I know, Benji. He and some of  
  
his friends are looking for a lead singer in their band, I said.  
  
They just fired the old one, cause he stole some stuff from  
  
Benji,   
  
I'm not really good, Rachel. Besides, why would they want me in  
  
their band? he asked.   
  
Well, if what Aidan said is any indication, you are good. And if  
  
that notebook is any indication, you have a lot of emotion built up  
  
inside you, and you can use that to your advantage. It would be a  
  
good way to start off life back here. A touch of normalcy.   
  
Well, I don't think I can sing in front of those people, Tobias  
  
said, still trying to weasel out.   
  
Show me when we get home. I'll swipe one of those CD's Aidan  
  
loves so much, and you can sing along and show me how you  
  
sound. It wasn't an suggestion, it was a statement.   
  
We flew home before the sun came up and snuck in. Mom had no  
  
clue. After breakfast, we went up to his room and put the Neon  
  
Ballroom CD in. Tobias put it on track 8, "Black Tangled Heart."   
  
"I like this one, and I actually know the words," he shrugged. The  
  
music started, and a weird glare got over his eyes, like I've never  
  
seen in him. I recognized it. I saw it in the mirror after the first  
  
fight. The look of shifting into a new gear, the one that comes  
  
naturally to you, but you never knew about until that moment.   
  
"Maybe your luck has changed. Settle down. Maybe I'm just  
  
deranged and on the rebound. Maybe love was the thing holding  
  
me back from it all. Maybe I'm just the thing to break my own fall.  
  
Take the rope to my heart and fall. You may just be the last before  
  
you see the black tangled heart fall. Maybe departure's good,  
  
makes room for more. Start to mass produce for a chance to ignore.  
  
Maybe you'll kill yourself before I get a turn. Maybe I'll fall in  
  
love and never learn. Take the rope to my heart and fall. You may  
  
just be the last before you see the black tangled heart fall. Take the  
  
rope to my heart and fall. You may just be the last before you see  
  
the black tangled heart fall."   
  
The song was really cool (if you've never heard it, I suggest you  
  
do). Aidan was right, Tobias did sound a lot like the Silverchair  
  
guy, Daniel. When the song was over, he looked at me sheepishly,  
  
not knowing that his voice would be that powerful. He was  
  
probably used to quietly singing along to the radio or to himself,  
  
but that voice held power. It was all raspy and sexy, not to mention  
  
quite loud. And, like I thought, he put himself into it, so it wasn't  
  
like he was singing like you do at school or whatever, where it's all  
  
forced and mechanical. He was singing as though those were words  
  
straight outta him.   
  
"That was really good," I said nodding. "I mean, really good."   
  
There was a knock at the door. "Hey, turn that down, I could hear it  
  
from the kitchen!" my mom scolded. She thought Tobias's singing  
  
was a CD.   
  
I raised my right eyebrow at him, and he looked down, defeated.  
  
"Okay, you win, I'll talk to the Benji dude. I just hope this turns  
  
out okay."   
  
"It will, Tobias, I know it," I reassured him. "You need a bit of  
  
normalcy in your life, not connected with Yeerks, or Eliminates, or  
  
us. You gotta do your own thing. I do gymnastics, Marco flirts  
  
around,   
  
Cassie's got the clinic, Jake's into basketball, and you. . ."   
  
He thought about that a second. "Yeah, I guess you're right.  
  
Everything for the past two years has been this damn war. I need an  
  
outlet."   
  
The next day, Tobias and I walked over to Being's place. It was on  
  
the other side   
  
of town. The band was having practice that day (without a singer),  
  
so they were in the garage.   
  
"BENJI!" I yelled over the loud music. Benji looked up and made a  
  
slashing motion with his arm, which made the band stop playing.   
  
"Rachel?" he replied. "How long since I've seen my sis? What's  
  
up?"   
  
"This is Tobias," I said, pointing to Tobias. "I think I may have  
  
found your band a singer."   
  
11: Tobias   
  
Benji smiled. He was dressed in baggy black jeans, frayed at the  
  
bottom, a long sleeved black tee shirt, a green Blink 182 shirt over  
  
that, and a few chains; one around his neck as a choker, one as a  
  
belt, and one as a guitar strap. He had short brown hair that he  
  
wore with three blond spikes in the front.   
  
I liked the band, they had a sound like Korn/Silverchair/Green Day.  
  
And Benji seemed nice enough. At least he seemed to like Rachel.  
  
But he's a guy, so liking Rachel was what he was pretty much  
  
inevitable. But what had he called her? Sis?   
  
"Ahhhh, lovely, lovely," Benji said, rubbing his hands together.  
  
"We need a vocalist. So, Tobias, you ever been in a band before?  
  
Or write songs? Do you play guitar?"   
  
"Uh, no, yeah, and no," I replied. "I played guitar when I was  
  
younger, like 11, but it was stolen, and I never got a new one."   
  
"Hmmmm, well, it's not too hard to re-learn if you knew before,"  
  
Benji nodded. "Wanna sing for us?"   
  
I nodded. We walked over to the band, I took my place in front of  
  
the mic. "Freak on a Leash!" Benji yelled out. I sighed in relief. I  
  
knew this song better than I knew Black Tangled Heart. The band  
  
played, and I did my thing, singing loudly, "Feeling like a freak on  
  
a leash, felling like I have no release. How many times have I felt  
  
diseased? Nothing in my life is free, is free."   
  
After the song, Rachel smiled and nodded. Benji looked very  
  
pleased. "I'll call you later, okay?" he said. Then he winked. "I'm  
  
not gonna give it away, but I think you made it. See ya, Tobias.  
  
Bye, sis."   
  
We walked away, but not back toward home. We walked around,  
  
talking. "You were so good! I can't believe it! You guys could  
  
become famous, on MTV or something."   
  
"Maybe they will, but I don't think I could," I countered. "Hey,  
  
how exactly do you know this Benji dude? He called you sis.  
  
Why?"   
  
"Oh, we grew up next door to each other. He and his dad moved to  
  
their new house after his mom died in 6th grade. My mom and his  
  
mom were best friends, and we grew up practically brother and  
  
sister, though we drifted apart after he moved. He's in the same  
  
grade as us, in case you were wondering. The other guys are Jack  
  
on drums and Chris on bass. As you saw, Benji plays lead guitar."   
  
"Well, the band was tight!" I said enthusiastically. "What's their  
  
name?"   
  
"Shade's Children, after a weird book Benji read a while ago,"  
  
Rachel replied. "But I think they're gonna change it to just Shade."   
  
"I like both of those," I said. I took her hand casually. We walked  
  
downtown. After a spell of silence, I said, "Thanks Rachel. You're  
  
so cool to me. I know that if you were like any other girl, you  
  
probably wouldn't talk to me at all, this dweeby kid. But you're so.  
  
. . special. You do all this nice stuff for me and help me out. I feel  
  
like I don't deserve it."   
  
She gave my hand a quick squeeze. "No, you're the special one,  
  
Tobias," she said. "As for those any other girls', forget them." We  
  
stopped walking. We leaned toward each other so her forehead  
  
rested on mine. "They aren't worth your time." Then she took her  
  
head away and kissed my hand quickly and let go of it.   
  
I wanted to kiss her beautiful lips, but I saw why she hadn't given  
  
me a regular kiss. Her mom was at the store across the street and  
  
had seen us. She began crossing the street.   
  
"Hi, Naomi," I said cheerfully. "Guess what? I might be in a band."   
  
"A garage band?" she asked. I nodded. "Benji's band?" Again I  
  
nodded. "Oh, that's good. That Benji is a really nice young man."   
  
"What's up mom?" Rachel asked.   
  
"Just seeing what you guys were up to," Naomi replied. "I was  
  
shopping for Sarah's school clothes. You two and Aidan are pretty  
  
much set, right? Thanks to a certain person."   
  
"Yeah," I responded, looking a bit past her. I thought I saw. . . Nah,  
  
it was just my mind. She couldn't be. . .   
  
"Well, come on, I'll treat you two to lunch," Naomi said, breaking  
  
me out of my trance. "How about the cafe next to the mall?"   
  
"Okay, yeah. I might be working there soon," I said. "My  
  
interview's today."   
  
I realized how every-day that sounded. Life was beginning to be  
  
regular, normal. My life had never been this good, not that I can  
  
remember. It was always sad or lonely or hawk-like. This felt like  
  
one of those tv shows from the 60's, where everything was cookies  
  
and hugs. Things were falling into place, it seemed, in the last  
  
weeks, making up for the last 16 years.   
  
Lunch was good. I decided to stay, since I had my interview in  
  
about ten minutes anyway. Rachel and Naomi left the cafe. I sat at  
  
a table waiting for the interview, looking out the window, when I  
  
saw Aidan and Marco walking toward the cafe. This was definitely  
  
weird. On a whim, I moved to the back corner and sat low in my  
  
chair, so they couldn't see me. I hadn't told either of them I'd be  
  
there, so they wouldn't   
  
know.   
  
Aidan was laughing as they came in. "Well, I like cappuccino,  
  
Marco," my sister said.   
  
"It's nasty. But I'll buy you one if you want," Marco offered.   
  
"No, I can get it myself," Aidan replied. Marco sat at a table and  
  
watched Aidan order a vanilla cappuccino and two brownies.  
  
"Here, I got you one too," she said, handing Marco a brownie.  
  
They chatted and ate, and Aidan sipped the cappuccino.   
  
Aidan kept looking around, and I pulled my hat down lower,  
  
covering my eyes. I had forgot about the whole connection thing  
  
between my sister and I. We could kind of sense when the other  
  
was around and what mood they were in. It's not like we can talk  
  
to each other or read each other's minds, just know if the other was  
  
close by, and sometimes we'd do or say things at the same time. At  
  
that moment, I got a cool "happy" vibe off of Aidan, as well as a  
  
bit of confusion. She sensed me, but didn't see me. I tried to block  
  
my mood and presence. Soon she gave up.   
  
"Wanna go to the park?" Marco asked. They both got up and stood  
  
by a wall with art done by the local kindergartners last year.   
  
"Nah, we went there yesterday," Aidan replied. Now I was getting  
  
confused. They went out yesterday? Aidan and Marco were  
  
together a lot, often doing stuff like this. I knew he liked her, but I  
  
didn't think she liked him. I realized just how wrong that was when  
  
they got up to leave.   
  
"How about the beach?" Marco tried again. "The school year's  
  
only a few weeks away, not much beach-time left."   
  
"Okay," Aidan replied. "Let me do this first." She leaned toward  
  
him and kissed him. He smiled and kissed her back, and I just  
  
about threw up. That kid disgusted me, so seeing him with my  
  
sister. . . I guess I forgot to keep my mental sheild up, because  
  
suddenly she broke away from Marco and looked around.   
  
Then she looked right at me. I'd been spotted. They walked to the  
  
table I was at.   
  
I pulled the hat off. "Hey, guys."   
  
Marco was beet-red. "Hey, Tobias. How's it going?" I tried not to  
  
laugh as I realized something. So many times, It'd been the other  
  
way around, with me all embarrassed, and Marco laughing.   
  
"Nothing much. Rachel took me down to this dude Benji, and I  
  
tried out for his band. He said I'm probably in," I said  
  
nonchalantly.   
  
Marco stood slack-jawed. "You? In Benji's band? Everyone in  
  
school knows about them! They've rejected so many people,  
  
joining them is an honor! How did you manage that?"   
  
"Um, let's see, Marco? Talent?" Aidan said. "Contrary to what you  
  
may believe, my brother's pretty cool." She put her arm around my  
  
shoulder and gave me a sort of sideways-hug. "Congratulations."   
  
"Thanks," I replied, squeezing my sister back.   
  
Then she shifted back to holding Marco's arm. "Well, I guess the  
  
secret isn't a secret anymore," she said, looking almost relieved.   
  
"Well, then I guess it's my turn to tell you congratulations," I said.  
  
To Marco, I grinned and punched his shoulder playfully. Then I  
  
raised my eyebrow. "Just don't hurt her, man. Or you'll have to  
  
answer to me and Rachel."   
  
"Hey, speaking of you and Rachel," he asked, returning the grin. "I  
  
saw you guys a little while ago, on the street. You were, like,  
  
holding hands, and being all lovey."   
  
"Well, looks like my secret's out, too," I shrugged. Then I smiled.  
  
"Pretty cool, huh? The group's all together. Jake and Cassie, me  
  
and Rachel, you guys. It's like Grease. Only we don't randomly  
  
break out into song," I laughed.   
  
Marco laughed. "You know, Tobias, I never noticed before, but  
  
you're pretty cool."   
  
"Yeah, well," I joked, "when you're as cool as me, you can't help  
  
but try not to be. Makes the common people happy." We all  
  
laughed. "Nah, I'm just kidding. I'm not cool, but it's nice of you  
  
to say that."   
  
"No, I'm serious," Marco persisted. "I've been such a jerk to you  
  
lately, but then you find out about me and Aidan, and you're not  
  
mad or anything, you're okay with it. Even making a few jokes. I  
  
probably wouldn't be if it were my sister and some dude who was a  
  
jerk."   
  
"Well, Marco, no offense, but some people are more mature about  
  
stuff like that than others," I replied coolly. I wanted so much to  
  
get in his face and tell him about how yeah, he was a jerk. All he'd  
  
ever been to me lately was a jerk. But then wasn't the time. Not  
  
around Aidan. And if he was who she liked, I wasn't going to get  
  
in the way of my sister's happiness.   
  
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Marco said. He looked genuinely  
  
sorry. "But we're cool now, right?"   
  
I nodded. "Yeah, we're cool." I turned to Aidan. "Hey, can I have  
  
some of that? It smells so good."   
  
"Sure," she smiled, handing me her cappuccino. I took a sip and  
  
handed it back. "So what are you doing here? I don't see Rachel  
  
around."   
  
"Actually, you just missed her," I said. "But I have a job interview  
  
in like five minutes."   
  
"Cool," Marco said. "Maybe you could hook me up with some of  
  
those brownies if you get the job," he joked. But then I saw her  
  
again. . . from the street. . . No, it wasn't her. When I'd seen her on  
  
the street with Naomi and Rachel, it wasn't her. It wasn't her now  
  
either. Couldn't be her. It was inconceivable. She isn't coming  
  
back, I told myself. But she walked toward the cafe.   
  
She had golden hair, and sea blue eyes. She was a very beautiful  
  
woman, about Naomi's age, maybe a tad younger. Her face was  
  
tired and sad, yet you could sense that she had spirit in her eyes. I  
  
realized I was staring at her as she glanced at me, so I looked away.  
  
Not her, I told myself. It's not her. Can't be. She's gone.   
  
She eyed me, looking me up and down. Then she looked at Aidan,  
  
and she looked troubled. She walked over to us and asked, "Um,  
  
excuse me, would any of you know a boy named Tobias  
  
________?"   
  
I stepped forward. My voice wasn't cooperating with me, my throat  
  
was clenched. So were my fists, I realized, relaxing my hands. "I'm  
  
Tobias," I said quietly.   
  
The woman breathed in a short gasp, then wrapped her arms  
  
around me. "Oh, just look at you! You've gotten so big! I can't  
  
believe I found you!" I pushed her away, glaring at her. "Tobias?"  
  
she asked. "Don't you remember me? It's me."   
  
It's not her, I thought. Can't be her. She's gone. Left me. "No," I  
  
said, my voice   
  
wavering.   
  
"It's me, honey. It's your mother, Loren."   
  
That was when the world stopped spinning. My newfound life of  
  
normalcy , as undeveloped as it was, halted. I was in a state of  
  
shock. "Mom?" I asked, my expression softening. "But-"   
  
"I'm sorry, Toby. It's me," she said.   
  
"Oh. My. God," Marco said. "Not another one."   
  
Loren looked at him weirdly. "Another one?"   
  
"More family," Marco went on. "He's lived without em his whole  
  
life, then they suddenly all show up." He poked Aidan in the side,  
  
indicating that she should speak up.   
  
My sister looked brave, but her voice wavered. "Mom?" she asked  
  
quietly.   
  
"I don't. . . I don't have a daughter," Loren said, puzzled. She  
  
stepped away from Aidan, toward me.   
  
I walked over to my sister and stood shoulder to shoulder with her.  
  
"Mom, there's something that happened before we were born that  
  
you don't know about," I said. "Why don't you come over to our  
  
place and we'll talk. Now."   
  
"Your interview?" Marco reminded me.   
  
"Screw the interview, this is more important," I whispered. "Go  
  
home, Aidan'll call you later." He nodded ad left the cafe.   
  
We got into her car and drove to Rachel's. "Rachel! Naomi! Get in  
  
here! Now!" I roared as we walked in. They entered the living  
  
room, and as soon as they saw Loren, looked uneasy.   
  
"Tobias, is that . . ?" Rachel trailed off. She sat on the couch, her  
  
mouth open in disbelief.   
  
"This is my mother," I said. "Loren, this is my friend Rachel and  
  
her mom Naomi. Aidan and I have been staying here for the past  
  
few weeks."   
  
Loren was still confused, but she just nodded hello to them.  
  
"Aidan?" she asked my twin. "Such a pretty name. That's what I  
  
was going to name Tobias if he was a girl."   
  
Aidan looked our mother in the eyes. "Loren, we need to talk. I'm  
  
Tobias's twin. The Ellimist took me away before I was born-"   
  
Loren went pale. "Ellimist," she hissed. "You mean. . . The  
  
dreams. . .No." she concluded firmly, shaking her head.   
  
"Mom, what are you talking about?" I asked. Loren looked at me,  
  
then Aidan, then at the floor.   
  
"It's just, these dreams I have tell me things about Ellimists, and an  
  
Andalite named Elfangor, and Yeerks. You probably think I'm  
  
crazy like everyone else, don't you?"   
  
I stared at her. "Um, Loren? Those aren't just any dreams, those  
  
are memories. About your past, about the events that led to Aidan  
  
and I. You must have blocked them out after I was born."   
  
"Or that Ellimist did," my mother sneered. "In my dreams he can  
  
do anything he wants."   
  
Aidan and I nodded. "He must have wiped your memory of  
  
Elfangor, our dad, and everything that happened that led up to you  
  
meeting and falling in love with him," Aidan said.   
  
"But he didn't take away my memory of you, Tobias," Loren  
  
smiled. "I remember when you were two, when I gave you over to  
  
your uncle, Tony. You didn't cry out loud, only one tear fell down  
  
your cheek. I wished you would have made it more difficult," she  
  
said, a tear sliding down her own cheek. "Maybe I wouldn't have  
  
done it then."   
  
"If you didn't want to leave him, then what the hell possesed you to  
  
do so?" Rachel asked, anger tinged in her voice. "Do you know  
  
how much he's suffered? What he's been through?"   
  
There was so much pain in my mother's eyes. "I couldn't take care  
  
of him. His father had left before he was born, and after he turned  
  
one, I lost my job. There was no money. I had to get away for a  
  
while and save enough to take care of us. I had to!" Her face had a  
  
painful expression. Then she smiled. "I went to a really good  
  
medical school, I'm a nurse now, and pretty well-off. I can take  
  
care of us, Tobias. I can."   
  
"What about Aidan? Her too?" I asked. "She's your daughter."   
  
There was doubt in her eyes. "I never saw her before in my life.  
  
She can't be mine, I think I'd remember having two children."   
  
Aidan stood and walked over to Loren. She held up a mirror so that  
  
Loren could see both herself and Aidan in the reflection. My sister  
  
was just a younger version of my mother, they looked so much  
  
alike.   
  
More alike than she and I do, which is very alike.   
  
"The Ellimist did it, mom. He took me out of you," Aidan spoke  
  
slowly. "I wasn't born. I was translocated to the Andalite Home  
  
World. You never even knew I existed." Slowly, accenting every  
  
word, she added, "But I do, and I'm your daughter, and Tobias's  
  
sister."   
  
Loren nodded. "I know, I know. But I don't know anything about  
  
you! I've only just met you."   
  
"You think you know me?" I asked, a bit mad. "You had me for  
  
two years and dumped me! That was almost a decade and a half  
  
ago, need I remind you, when I could barely talk, let alone tell you  
  
what I liked, who I was. You have no idea who I am."   
  
Again, my mother nodded. "You're right. I know you're right.  
  
Both of you are. But this is a shock. To suddenly have two kids  
  
instead of one-"   
  
"Excuse me?" Naomi cut in. She stood before Loren, her hand on  
  
her hip. "You think I just randomly take kids in? I have three girls  
  
already, but it's a responsibility. They aren't even my children. I  
  
didn't have any idea who they were until a couple weeks ago, but I  
  
treat them as my own. And they're really great kids, Loren. If you  
  
can't accept responsibility for your own children like I took  
  
responsibility for them, you don't deserve to have them. Not even  
  
just Tobias, let alone he and his sister. Now, unless you are willing  
  
to love and care for Tobias and Aidan, get out of my house."   
  
Loren sat there, slack-jawed, gaping at Naomi. Then she looked  
  
away, ashamed. "I'm sorry. I was wrong. Of course I'll take care of  
  
both of you. It's just that 3 years of therapy convinced me that  
  
there were no aliens, no Andalites or Ellimists, yet my own  
  
daughter has been living among them her whole life. Every time I  
  
see her, I'll think of that contradiction. Either that or the fact that I  
  
wasted $100 a week for 3 years."   
  
We laughed at her strained attempt at humor. "Don't think of the  
  
loss, think of the gain!" Rachel said enthusiastically. "You don't  
  
just have a son to love you, you have a son and a daughter. That's  
  
more than you could have said before you came back here. Isn't  
  
that worth something?"   
  
Loren laughed through a tear of what I hoped was joy. "Yes. Yes it  
  
does."   
  
"So, um, where have you been these past 14 years?" Naomi asked.   
  
"At first, here, but for the past 12, New York," Loren replied. "I've  
  
been working my way up in my job, and now they'll actually listen  
  
when I want to transfer. Isn't that great?"   
  
"Where are you going to transfer?" I asked. "Here, right?"   
  
"Well, I've always wanted to work in San Francisco or New York  
  
City-"   
  
"Mom," I said firmly. "Could you just move back here? Aidan and  
  
I kind of have a, uh, arrangement that we can't get out of."   
  
"Yeah, I suppose," she said. "I haven't been here in so long. Maybe  
  
you could show me around?"   
  
I nodded. "Sure, some friends and I could. You can meet some  
  
people." I ran upstairs to my room and picked up the phone. Then I  
  
realized that Loren was there too. "Oh, I was just going to call  
  
some of my friends, tell them what's going on."   
  
She nodded. "Well, you seem to have a good life," she said,  
  
looking around at my things.   
  
I snorted. "Yeah, within the last week or two. Before that, I  
  
wouldn't wish it upon anyone. Do you have any idea how I was  
  
treated? Tony was a drunken bastard, Alicia wasn't much better.  
  
When I got into their space' they'd shove me off. I went back and  
  
forth from one state to the other, and I wasn't welcome at either  
  
home. He hit me, she ignored me. Don't tell me I have a good life."   
  
"I'm. . . I'm sorry, Tobias," she sighed. "I didn't think. . . I thought  
  
Tony was a good man. But I was wrong. I didn't realize things  
  
would turn out how they did. You know that."   
  
I looked down. "Yeah, yeah, I know. But still." I picked up the  
  
phone and dialed up Jake. "Hey, Jake, what's up? Uh huh? Really?  
  
Cool. Well, I have some news. Yeah. Uh, why don't you come  
  
over and see. Yep. Bye." I hung up the phone. Then I picked it  
  
back up and dialed Marco. "Hey, Marco. Yeah, she's here. Uh huh,  
  
her too. Yeah, come over. Meeting." I hung the phone up.   
  
"You know, you seem to have enough friends," Loren said.  
  
"There's that girl Rachel downstairs, and Jake, and Marco. Of  
  
course, your sister."   
  
"Yeah, I guess," I replied, picking up the phone again and dialing  
  
Cassie's number. "Hey, Cassie? Hi, it's me. Yeah. Well, um, I  
  
need you to come over for a special meeting. Yep, I called Jake and  
  
Marco. Okay, I will. Could you tell Erek for me? Cool, see ya in a  
  
few." Then I hung up the phone.   
  
"So, how long have you known these kids?" Loren asked.   
  
"About two years," I replied. "After Alicia kicked me over to  
  
Tony's."   
  
"Speaking of which, Tony passed away last year, but you didn't  
  
move in with your friend Rachel until a couple weeks ago. How  
  
so?" she asked.   
  
I hesitated. "Um, I'll have to tell you that extremely long story  
  
later," I said slowly.   
  
"Okay," Loren nodded. "So, I guess this means I'll get to meet  
  
your friends. That's such a mom thing. I'm so out of practice at  
  
being a mom. Then again, I never really had much experience  
  
anyway, huh?" She walked around my room, picking stuff up,  
  
looking through my stuff.   
  
"Okay, lesson #1," I said, taking a notebook out of her hand.  
  
"Don't go through all your son's stuff, as this may cause him to get  
  
upset and kick you out of his room," I joked. I hugged her. "Thanks  
  
for coming back, Loren," I whispered.   
  
She broke away. "Tobias, here's rule #1 about being a son. Call me  
  
mom." She smiled. "And thank you for being here."   
  
We turned and went back downstairs. Jake and Marco were already  
  
there, they live in the same subdivision. Erek walked in moments  
  
later, because he does too. "Hey, guys," I greeted. They waved  
  
back. But then they got distracted.   
  
Jake stared behind me at Loren. "Who's that?" he asked. "She  
  
looks kind of like Aidan."   
  
"This is my mom," I said. Jake and Erek were shocked. They  
  
stared at her, open mouthed.   
  
Marco laughed. "Yeah, that's what Tobias did, too."   
  
"So, uh, hi," Jake said. "I'm Jake." He shook her hand.   
  
The doorbell rang. Rachel answered it and soon her and Cassie  
  
walked into the living room. "Hey, everyone." Then she looked at  
  
Loren and said, "Woah. You're. . ." Loren nodded. "Cool. I'm  
  
Cassie." She shook Loren's hand. "Nice to meet you."   
  
"Um, okay, guys, girls, people," I said. "This is Aidan's and my  
  
mother, Loren. The reason you're all here is because we have a bit  
  
of a problem. She kind of knows about Andalites and Ellimists and  
  
such."   
  
Jake went a bit pale. "Well, uh, given who your father was, you'd  
  
think she would. Unless the Ellimist wiped her memory."   
  
"That's just it. He did, I remember now that Elfangor said so in  
  
that letter DeGroot showed me last year. He said that all evidence  
  
of his life here were erased. But she remembers in dreams, right  
  
Loren?"   
  
"It's Mom, Tobias," she replied. I rolled my eyes. "And yes, that's  
  
right. Andalites, Ellimists, Yeerks, and Taxxons. Those are the  
  
names I hear over and over in my dreams. But how do you guys  
  
know? Everyone else said I was crazy."   
  
"That is a very long story," Marco said. "Why don't you do the  
  
honors, fearless leader?"   
  
Jake opened his mouth, but I stopped him. "Not now, not here.  
  
Rachel has two little sisters that should be home any time now," I  
  
said. "Aidan and I can fill her in later. For now, we should talk  
  
about more pressing matters. Like when are you moving back here,  
  
mom?"   
  
"As soon as I can, Tobias," Loren replied. "Maybe you, your sister,  
  
and I can go looking at houses later, all right? Then we can go out  
  
to eat. You like pizza?"   
  
I nodded. Nobody spoke for a moment, and there was an awkward  
  
pause. "So," I whispered. I cleared my throat and in a louder voice,  
  
I said, "Um, so, Loren wanted us to show her around town. Do you  
  
think we should? I don't think it would be bad security, because  
  
Aidan and I live with Rachel, Aidan and Marco are going out. Jake  
  
and Marco are best friends, and Rachel and Cassie are best friends.  
  
We shouldn't look too suspicious."   
  
Jake nodded. "Yeah, that makes sense. We could show you all the  
  
good restaurants and stuff." A slow grin spread across his face.  
  
"Maybe we could go to the movies? I hear Stigmata is a good one.  
  
It's scary, too, so it would be so cool to see it at night."   
  
He glanced at Cassie and looked at me. I grinned at him. It was the  
  
secret guy look. If you aren't a guy, you wouldn't really get it. But  
  
it has to do with girls. Then I turned to my mother. "Yeah, how  
  
bout it, mom? Up for a midnight movie? The theater downtown  
  
isn't too expensive."   
  
Loren smiled. "Sure, why not? I haven't seen a movie in a while."   
  
TWO MONTHS LATER   
  
Life was great. Aidan and I moved in with mom, filled her in on  
  
everything. She got most of her old memories back, and Naomi got  
  
Aidan and I into school.   
  
On the first day, I walked into class a bit nervous. School wasn't  
  
my favorite place to be. Looking around, I identified two kids that  
  
used to beat me up, a girl that I used to like, and Jake. They  
  
recognized me too. I sat by Jake.   
  
"Hey, man," he said. "Welcome back."   
  
"Thanks," I replied. I had a false look of confidence on, and  
  
casually chatted with Jake and a few other people. Then Benji  
  
walked in. Thank you God, I thought.   
  
Benji and I had become pretty good friends. I got into the band, and  
  
I bought a guitar with the money I got working at the cafe. He  
  
re-taught me how to play (I'm pretty good if I do say so myself). I  
  
wished he could be an Animorph with us, but Jake said he wasn't  
  
ready to get another new member, we still had to fine-tune   
  
Aidan. But maybe in the near future.   
  
Benji had a big grin on his face as he plopped down in the seat next  
  
to mine. Everyone sort of watched us as he said, "Hey, Tobias,  
  
Jake. What's up, fellas?"   
  
"Not too much," Jake replied.   
  
"Cool. Tobias, you ready for that gig next Friday?" Several pairs of  
  
eyes found their way to me.   
  
"Yeah, man, you know it!" I replied. "I'm psyched. What's it  
  
paying again?"   
  
"$200 for each of us," Benji grinned. "Not the highest wages, but  
  
still pretty decent." Then he looked around and noticed everyone  
  
watching us. "What?" he asked them, laughing. "You never seen  
  
guys talk before?" I laughed too, as did Jake. The tension around  
  
everyone broke, and they went back to their individual  
  
conversations.   
  
Benji and I talked Shade stuff and girls, and Jake and I talked  
  
basketball, because he wanted to join the team. Then someone  
  
came in the room. Jake froze, mid-sentence.   
  
It was Chapman. He cleared his throat. Everyone snapped to  
  
attention. "Your teacher is ill today, so they've asked me to take  
  
over untill she recovers."   
  
Jake and I exchanged a look. Benji groaned. "Not him," he  
  
muttered. "I never liked him in middle school. Now we're juniors  
  
and he's still hanging around."   
  
I grinned at Benji's complaint. If only he knew how much he'd  
  
have to "hang around" Chapman if he was one of us. "Be glad you  
  
aren't Mellissa," I whispered to him. He grinned and stifled a  
  
laugh.   
  
Sure, my life didn't turn into warm fuzzies and perfection. There  
  
was still the war, still the rest of the world to deal with. Not to  
  
mention school. But I had my mom, my sister (who became my  
  
best friend and is still with Marco to this day), and my friends.  
  
Since I wasn't a weak little thing, and probably because of the  
  
band, virtually no one ever bad mouthed me or picked on me. I had  
  
so many friends, it felt a bit strange. A good strange, though.   
  
Oh, and of course there was Rachel. She really helps with keeping  
  
life sane. I won't go into the full extent of our relationship, that's  
  
for me to know and you to imagine, but I will tell you that love  
  
isn't always bittersweet. Our love is just sweet.  
  
The End 


End file.
